An Ending for a New Beginning
by AdariasWrath23
Summary: The final Battle for Sasuke! Naruto and Sakura have come a long ways to get here... will they save Sasuke? What happens if they do?Sakura makes the ultimate choice and Kurenai vents from her loss... utd with the Manga 328.. spoilers...sasusaku
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto in any way, shape, or form **

**Author's note PLEASE READ**: Spoilers for those not up to date with the manga!!!

This story takes place some time AFTER the current manga chapter—when Naruto comes face to face with Sasuke for the final time. At this point, Naruto has completed his training and Orochimaru has taken over Sasuke's body. However, just as with the last body Orochimaru took over, some of Sasuke's consciousness is still present.

The story opens with Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi, Yamato, Ino, Choji, Shikamaru, and Sai battling Orochimaru, Kabuto, and the sound nins.

Also, since this is my fan fic—there will be some pairing stuff like SasuSaku or NaruSaku ( you'll have to read to see which) but I'm going to make this as "realistically possible" to the manga as I can**  
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Also, I eliminated most of the –samas, -chans, and –kuns. I simply do not know how to use them properly and figured it would be more offensive to just throw them in wherever.

** Chapter One: In the Thick of Battle**

"Ino!" Sakura yelled above the noise. "Help Kakashi while I finish with Choji!"

The blond nodded and rushed across the battlefield toward the copy nin. Kakshi's wounds were minor and easily taken care of by basic medical jutsu. Sakura had her hands full with more serious wounds.

"Thanks," Kakashi said, tossing a sound nin out of the way. " Heads up!"

Landing a solid punch on one enemy, Ino spun away as two more advanced. " No problem!" she called out, deftly dodging and fighting her way into the fray.

All around was chaos. Bodies lay strewn across the parched land and still the sound ninjas kept coming. It had been a trap—a trap they had suspected, but still team seven could not give up the hope that it might be their last chance to save Sasuke. So they had willingly set themselves up, but had kept reasonable reinforcements in the background.

Though the two teams were more than well matched for the sound nins, Orochimaru had advantage in numbers and the Konoha crew was growing weary. More reinforcements were on the way, but Kakashi was not sure if the other teams would reach them in time. Out of the corner of his eye he glimpsed Sakura, wearily fighting off enemies as she tried to heal the innumerable injuries that threatened the lives of her comrades.

Naruto and Sai remained near the pink-haired healer, though Naruto began slowly fighting his way towards Kabuto.

Kakashi shook his head, resting momentarily while the sound nins regrouped. Most of their charka was spent. It was coming down to a hand to hand battle. He glanced up to the hill where Orochimaru sat atop the giant Manda. He had yet to order the snake into the battle. _"That bastard,"_ Kakashi thought. _"I wonder how much of Sasuke is left in that body…"_

Elsewhere on the battlefield….

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"Kabuto! Come on and fight me face to face!"

The grey haired lackey stopped in mid-swing and glared at Naruto across a sea of faces. "I'll finish you before you even get to Orochimaru-sama! He won't even have to lift a finger in this battle!"

They rushed at each other.

Naruto reserved his chakra, choosing to pummel Kabuto with his taijutsu instead. He would need all the energy he had for Orochimaru.

_Sasuke._

With a fierce roar, the two enemies clashed.

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Her hands raw from healing and body worn from fighting, Sakura looked up from the sound nin she had annihilated. She blinked, attempting to remove the bleariness from her eyes. Quickly, her gaze sought out Kakashi, the former ANBU a whirling dervish amid a mass of attacking ninjas. Next, she found Ino—her confident rival, injured and fighting back-to-back with Shikamaru.

"N-Naruto?" She whispered, searching the confusion.

_There! In the shadow of the hill!_

_No! _She thought to herself. _He needs to conserve his strength! _She wanted to go to him, but she had to conserve her own strength as well. If Naruto won her the chance, she'd need every ounce for Sasuke.

A hand on her shoulder shocked her back into the moment, but the voice that accompanied it was friendly.

"Sakura," Sai nodded. "I'll go." He knew as well as she did, what needed to take place.

A look of thanks passed between them as the former ROOT member moved stealthily towards the two-man battle.

Another shadow fell over Sakura

"Hnnnnn!" She hit the ground, the air forced out of her lungs. Someone had attacked her from behind.

She rose slowly, her arms betraying her as they shook with weariness. The sound nin leered down at her, his hands performing the seals he would use to take her down.

Suddenly, he stopped in mid-motion and his eyes rolled back into his head. The body crumpled to the ground to reveal a smirking Yamato. "Come on, Sakura. On your feet." He hefted her up unceremoniously. "We need to get to Naruto."

She cast a worried look towards the direction Sai had gone. Yamato needed to be nearby in order to suppress the demon fox. The success of their mission depended on it.

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From his aerial perch Orochimaru watched the battle with amusement.

"See this Sasuke? They still think there is a way to save you." His taunt received no reaction from the faint presence that refused to leave its body. But he knew how to get to the Uchiha. "Funny how, after I kill your former friends, I'll go on to destroy Konoha. And after that… why…I think I'll leave Itachi alone. Why would I want to risk my new neck by doing something so foolish?"

An angry shimmering laced with sorrow flooded Orochimaru's mind. He smiled.

"I want to be immortal. I didn't get here by being foolish. Chasing after Akatsuki is worse than a death wish."

The strange sensation increased and Orochimaru's smile disappeared. He doubled over, fighting the strong will of Sasuke. When he regained control, he turned his gaze back to the battle, but his mind was elsewhere.

Which each new body he took, the sannin noticed a little more of each person was left behind. His last body held just traces of its former owner—slight resistance and a small amount of awareness. Sasuke's body, however, retained a larger portion of the Uchiha's mind. Mostly it was just perceived emotions, but sometimes Orochimaru could hear the boy speaking inside his mind.

It lead him to wonder if with each new body would present a harder and harder battle for control, or if it was simply the marvelous strength of the Uchiha genius.

Orochimaru watched solemnly as Kabuto bounced grotesquely off the ground and rolled to the base of the hill.

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Sai lowered his fist.

He watched as Kabuto stood up, brushing the dust from his garments.

"Go. I'll deal with the scientist."

Naruto opened his mouth to argue but was silenced by the approaching Yamato's steely gaze. "He's right Naruto. Leaf can't hold out much longer. We need to do this now."

Giving them his best good guy impression, Naruto grinned at Sakura and Yamato. He let his gaze linger on Sakura's face last. _I'll get Sasuke back for her. And I'll protect my friends._

"Hai! Let's go!" He pointed up at Orochimaru. "I'm taking Sasuke back to Konoha ! And you're not part of the deal!"

He growled.

"Naruto!" Yamato grasped his arm, "remember, you don't need to use the foxes chakra! Remember what you learned!"

"We'll be right there with you," Sakura made a fist. We'll help you bring Sasuke back."

Kakashi paused to watch the three distant figures advance up the hill. He bowed respectfully and turned back to the action. If they could just hold out a little longer, the other two teams would arrive soon.

**Coming ASAP ( probably later today/tonight) Chapter Two _: Sakura's Compromise and Kurenai's Rage_ **

Summary: Sakura is faced with the ultimate choice between saving two friends—and Kurenai unleashes her hidden rage from Asuma's death.

R&R no flames—I'll write what I want anyhow.


	2. Chapter 2

….and again, I do Not own Naruto….

**Chapter 2: Sakura's Compromise, Kurenai's Fury**

"You won't get too much further than this!" Gai bashed two nins heads together. "See that, Lee, the key is to take out as many enemies with one move as possible!"

An enthusiastic Lee nodded, taking the lesson to heart as he pounded a row of sound ninjas into the ground.

"Gai!" Another voice called from the entrance to the clearing. Kurenai held her hand up in greeting, her eyes distant and empty. It was one of the first times she hadn't greeted him with her usual smile.

"Kurenai! I thought you had free leave from missions since…"

"I cannot leave my team at such a crucial time," the genjutsu prodigy replied somberly. "Where is Kakashi? Yamato?"

"I cannot make out Kakashi in the confusion. But I will not let him have all the good Sound ninjas!" Gai raised a fist threateningly.

Kurenai shook her head as she and her team followed Gai into the nightmare.

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Manda was anxious. Orochimaru could sense the snake tensing through her coils. Of all the people she hated, himself included, these ones before her were most hated of all. The Kyuubi holder was responsible for injuries to her in the past. She had dreamt of the moment when she would get to eat him.

Orochimaru stared down at the three who had come to defy him. "You may have the girl and my former experiment." He told the snake. "But the boy is mine."

"That's what you think, you bastard!" Naruto called up at him. "Sasuke was the last person you're gonna hurt!"

The snake master smiled—Sasuke's smile. "You don't get it, Naruto. Not only do I have Sasuke's powers as well, once I kill you I will gain the ultimate sharingan power. You are, of course, still Sasuke's best friend."

_Still?_ Sakura stared fearfully at the so-familiar face before her. _Then… that means…there must be a part of Sasuke left after all!_

"I'm really getting tired of this." Quicker than they thought possible, a large coil of Manda's tail wrapped around them, separating Naruto from Sakura and Yamato.

Orochimaru floated down from the snake's head. "They're all yours."

"No!" Naruto concentrated, performing the summons as quickly as possible. Even in his weakened state, Gamma Bunta instantly appeared. "Protect them!"

"Foolish boy. I won't be surprised by your inner chakra this time."

"I'm gonna beat you in a fair fight! I don't need the fox's help!"

"Then it begins," Orochimaru hissed.

Time slowed for Naruto as he and Orochimaru/Sasuke circled one another. Memories of his battle with his best friend returned. Every advance Orochimaru made, Naruto relived it in another part of his memory. They circled and charged, attacked and fell back. Neither one was making any head way.

"You've….improved…" Orochimaru said, gasping to catch his breath. "How is it… that you became.. so skilled?"

"I have a good teacher," Naruto spat.

"Well, good teacher or not… you won't be prepared for _this_."

Orochimaru raised his arm.

_The unknown jutsu from our first encounter!_ Naruto's eyes went wide.

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"Shit!" Yamato and Sakura had rolled out of the way of Manda's tail. "I can't seem to find a way around this monster!"

Though occupied with her hated rival, the large snake hadn't lost track of the pair and was doing her best to keep them encircled within her coils.

"I have an idea!" Sakura placed her palm on the hardened ground. "You're just going to have to trust me."

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"Kakashi!" Gai pounded his 'rival' on the back. "Glad to see you're no worse for wear!"

The copy nin glared at him in disgust. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Kakashi was bleeding—from so many places he couldn't even count them all. He was tired and he was dirty and he was certainly in no mood for friendly competition at this time.

"Hn. You guys sure took your time."

"Nonsense! Kurenai arrived at the same time we did and I don't hear you giving her any crap about…"

"Kurenai?" Kakashi cut him off. "What's she doing out in the field so soon?"

Both men froze instantly as a gut-wrneching scream ripped through the air. They spun around only to be shocked by the sight in the center of the battle.

Kurenai stood alone, a large circle around her. Her hands were covered in blood. But more noticeably—the trench knives in her hands were covered in blood.

"Are…are those…" Lee whispered from behind Gai.

Kakashi nodded, his expression unreadable.

"_Asuma's knives"_

They could only watch as Kurenai fell to her knees, the circle of fighters widening away from her. With the exception of the hill top, all the fight stopped as all eyes turned to her.

She tilted her head back again, but not sound came from her throat. Instead, she closed her eyes and gently placed her hands on the ground.

The rumbling was small at first. Slowly, it grew and grew as vines and trees erupted from the parched soil, snaring unsuspecting sound ninjas and leaf ninjas alike. The barren field was suddenly a forest and not one person escaped the living trees.

"What's she doing!?!" Gai looked over at Kakashi, the silver haired ninja ensnared in a tree of his own.

"She's winning the battle for us, Gai. Guess you missed the boat on this one."

Gai's jaw dropped at the weary joke. "Hmph." He scoffed. "She's gone and immobilized the good guys too."

"You should have more faith in me than that."

Gai flinched, not realizing Kurenai had appeared behind him.

"Now, if you wait a moment, I'll free all of you from the illusion." She walked through the trees. "But I'm going to free you two last of all."

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The ground fell away from them as Sakura channeled her chakra into the rock. It wasn't much, but it was enough to create a small tunnel beneath the snake demon's coils.

"Come on!" She cried, pulling Yamato down into the dusty cavity. "Hurry before she realizes what's going on!"

Yamato shook his head, grateful that the snake was too busy with the toad to pay them any heed.

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Orochimaru raised his arm….

And almost instantly felt his control over his host body slipping.

He stumbled, fighting against the force with which Sasuke was coming through. That one moment was enough for Naruto.

He hit Orochimaru with one of his new wind techniques, confident that the snake-man was not prepared for that.

He was right.

Already battling with Sasuke for control over his body, Orochimaru was ill prepared for the wind-based attack. He lay there, motionless, finally regaining control over himself again.

Naruto began the seals for his final technique.

"No! Naruto wait!"

The blond looked at Yamato in confusion. "But.. But…it's over!"

"Naruto, you'll kill whatever is left of Sasuke too!" He placed a hand on his shoulder. "There is ..another…way."

Now a strange sensation of fear pierced the mind of Orochimaru as he sat up and saw the waiting form of Sakura behind Naruto. She was Tsunade's student, and he now knew why she was there. Well, he would force her to use her powers for another reason.

He had planned on using the Uchiha's power to suppress the Kyuubi… but now, he was going to use them to summon it!

On hands and knees, he stretched out his arm. "Kyuubi! Demon fox! I command you to COME OUT!"

"Uhhhhhhh," Naruto hit the ground, twisting and turning, his form wavering as the transformation went under way.

"Yamato!" Sakura stared, wide-eyed. "What's he doing?"

Sweat pouring down his face, the ANBU ninja shook his head. He knelt closer to Naruto on the ground. "I…I… I can't….it's not enough! I can't hold the demon back!"

"Kyuubi!!" Orochimaru howled. "COME FORTH!"

Naruto was already at two-tail state.

"Sakura! Your healing ability! You're going to have to help me keep the demon back! Or Naruto will kill us all!"

"But… that means that…"

Yamato looked at her sadly. "It's Naruto or Sasuke, Sakura. If you use your chakra on Orochimaru, we—along with Naruto will die. We may yet get another chance to save Sasuke."

The choice was made. Really, what choice was there?

She knelt next to her childhood friend and placed her hands on his chest, flooding him with her healing power.

The second tail disappeared.

They were so immersed in helping Naruto, neither one saw Orochimaru approach.

"Well, well. Seems you weren't all that devoted to him after all."

The whisper burned in Sakura's head as if he had poured liquid fire in her ear. She felt her heart break for a second time. It only made it worse that he looked like Sasuke.

_No! No it won't end like this! It won't end…_

Sakura's eyes went wide as the sword pierced through her stomach. Sasuke's sword. She looked up at him through tear-filled eyes. A deep look of horror was on Orochimaru's face and for a moment their eyes met and she knew it was Sasuke looking back at her. Just as quickly—it was gone, replaced by a cruel smile.

Sakura couldn't make out what Yamato was screaming at her.

_No! It WON"T end like THIS!_

Suddenly, her hand shot out, gripping Orochimaru's tunic in her unbreakable grasp.

Keeping one hand on Naruto and one hand on Sasuke, she flooded healing chakra out of her body and into theirs.

Orochimaru's went rigid with shock and instantly, Manda vanished. "Nooooo!" he screamed, the sound just above a whisper.

Sakura felt her body failing but she continued pouring the healing chakra into her friends.

Her power drowned Orochimaru, pulsing through the body he had stolen. He could not tolerate the pureness of it and slowly he felt his control slipping. Sasuke resurfaced, attacking the disoriented snake master from within.

On the outskirts of the strange trio, Yamato looked on in disbelief. He wanted desperately to help Sakura as she bled to death but knew that he needed to keep his own control on Naruto. But even as he watched, a strange form began to seep out of the Uchiha body.

Cast out, Orochimaru hovered above the unconscious body. With his last amount of energy, he would kill the boy.

But before the transparent image could swoop down, it was hit with a massive ball of lightning.

An otherworldly shriek rent the air. And then he was gone.

Yamato collapsed backward, his eyes barely registering Kakashi. "You sure know when to take your time, eh?"

"Ino! Ino! Help Sakura! What the hell happened up here?"

"I… I…She's lost a lot of blood." The girl whispered, her composure close to breaking. "I don't know if this is something I can heal… it's a strange wound…"

"Damnit!" Kakashi held Sakura up. "Do what you can! Just give her the chance to make it to Konoha."

"I'll do what I can…"

Kurenai, Kakashi, and Gai looked from the unconscious form of Sasuke to the unconscious forms of Naruto, Sakura and Yamato.

"What the hell happened up here?"

From the back ground a wounded Sai spoke up. "I think they saved Sasuke."

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Coming ASAP chapter 3: Sasuke

Summary: Will Sakura survive the trip back to Konoha? What happens when Sasuke wakes up?


	3. Chapter 3

…Did I mention that I do NOT own Naruto….

**Author's note**: Thanks so much for all the positive feedback! I'm sorry that the first two chapters seemed short and choppy—I wanted to get as many perspectives in and that seemed the best way to do it. I also apologize for the not-so-exciting fight scene with Orochimaru. I'm sure when it finally happens in the manga it will be 100x better with way more Naruto kicking ass. Sakura was the main focus in that chapter. Perhaps when all is said and done I will go back and revise it to have more action and a little more description.

**Chapter 3: Sasuke**

Tsunade groaned inwardly as she watched Naruto pace back and forth in front of her desk. If she had the heart to, she would have thrown his butt out the door and made him go get some sleep. But she knew after all that had happened that sleep would not come to the young man for days.

As was expected, Yamato and Naruto had been the first to awaken after the battle near Sound.

The blond's wounds were slower to heal this time, but he bounced back with his normal resiliency. Yamato had suffered only minor injuries, but the former captain had remained in the hospital frequently checking on the status of his companions—as had every other ninja involved in the battle.

"Come on, Old Lady Tsunade!" Naruto ground his teeth. "When can we go see her?"

"Naruto," she was losing her patience, "Sakura won't even know you are visiting her and I doubt she'd want you to see her in such a state."

"Well WHEN will we be able to?"

Tsunade bit her lower lip. She sighed, aware that it could be a long time before Sakura was better—IF she got better. _Perhaps I should let them see her…just incase…_

"Alright. Fine. Just let me send Shizune in to check before you go barging in there with half the village."

She had barely got the sentence out before Naruto was on his way towards Sakura's room.

Kakashi, who had waited patiently in the back ground, turned to follow him. Before he reached the door, he turned to Tsunade.

"How's Sasuke?"

"Still sleeping, though I expect him to wake some time today. I don't want anyone visiting him until I assess him when he's awake. Even though it was Orochimaru who injured our crew," She shook her head, "We have to remember that the Sasuke we knew is probably gone. He did not hesitate before to try to kill Naruto…and that was when he was himself."

Kakashi nodded. "I was thinking along those lines as well. Sakura mentioned drugs at one point in time… could they have altered his thoughts enough to make him want to kill them?"

"It's possible, but not a chance I want to take. For now, we'll assume that he's still dangerous and should be watched closely."

The copy nin turned to go. "If you need me, I'll be with Sakura." He pulled out his book. "It's about time I got back to this thing anyhow."

The Hokage shook her head in dismay. "Jiryia—I should have known he'd grow up to be a smut author."

Kakashi smiled to himself, hearing her remark as the door shut behind him.

He continued down to the hospital, his mind a mass of thoughts. Yamato had given him a good idea of what had happened on the hill, and Naruto had filled in the details about when he was separated from his companions. He hadn't expected the turn that their story took. But it made him proud.

They had all known that the one chance to save Sasuke would be to defeat him to the point where he had no energy left and then use Sakura's healing ability to flush Orochimaru out of him.

But Kakashi hadn't known she was strong enough to do what she did. And he didn't know that Sasuke had such power over the Kyuubi. _Something about that Uchiha clan…_he thought to himself_…there's more to it than we realize…there's something more as to why Itachi wants the fox._

"Hai! Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto was waiting patiently outside Sakura's door. "Shizune won't let me in yet!"

"Just wait a moment, I'm sure she's not doing it on purpose."

They stood in silence for the few seconds before the door opened. A tired looking Shizune emerged, giving them a half-hearted smile.

"There's chairs for you, if you like."

Naruto glanced in the room. "Why's she sweating so much? It's freezing in here!"

"The kyuubi chakra," Shizune frowned. "It acts like a poison in a wound. That and she had a good dose of Sasuke's chidori from that sword."

Quietly, Naruto and Kakashi entered the room. Shizune remained out in the hallway and closed the door behind them.

Sakura lay motionless on the hospital bed, a thin white sheet drawn up to her shoulders. Her skin was pale and ashen and her pink hair lay in a wet tangle around her face. Beads of sweat rolled slowly down her skin.

"It's my fault," Naruto whispered quietly, grasping Sakura's fevered hand. "If I could have controlled the kyuubi, she would have had chakra left to heal herself!"

Kakashi put a hand on the young man's shoulder. "Sakura did the only thing she could have in order to save the two people she cares most about. Don't do her the injustice of making excuses. Let's just remember the courage she has shown and hope that it's enough to keep her alive."

"Y-You don't really think she might die, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto seemed shocked.

"Surely it has occurred to you that this might be the last time you see her…" Kakashi frowned, looking at his former pupil's expression. Apparently that had been the furthest idea from Naruto's mind.

The copy nin took up a chair and pulled out his book, but Kakashi was unable to focus on the words. His eyes traveled back to Naruto, still standing at the edge of Sakura's bed.

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Tsunade entered the room cautiously, dismissing the ANBU from inside. Without a word she move towards the bed and held out a glass of water to Sasuke.

For a moment she didn't know if he would accept it, but eventually the Uchiha took it from her and downed it in one gulp.

"Tsunade," Sasuke nodded in thanks.

The hokage sat on the foot of the bed. "Tell me, Sasuke, how far am I to trust you?"

If her bluntness surprised him, he gave no reaction. "I have no ill will towards Konoha…or anyone from this place."

"And your quest? Your revenge?"

"I will still find a way to avenge my family."

Tsunade sighed. "I must have your word that you will not seek out Naruto with the intent to kill him."

"I give you my word."

"They'll want to visit you," She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "And I think you need to stay here for a while longer. Your body underwent a massive trauma."

"I… I don't want to see Naruto or Sakura yet." He bowed his head. "Maybe only Kakashi… if he wishes."

"Well, Naruto won't like that much, he's been after me about seeing you non stop. And Kakashi, I'm sure, will want to stop in now that you're awake." She paused and Sasuke knew who she hadn't mentioned yet. "Eh…Sakura…she may not be able to come see you…for a while."

"Why…" Suddenly the memory of it hit Sasuke with such a force he almost fell back onto the bed.

He remembered now; remembered Orochimaru stabbing her with his blade. And he remembered how she had grabbed him even as the light was fading from her eyes. She was the reason he was free—and he had almost killed her.

Tsunade saw the comprehension in his eyes. She did not miss the deep look of pain she saw there as well. "I'll leave you for a while. Rest. If I see Kakashi, I'll send him here."

Sasuke was barely aware of her leaving. He leaned back against the pillows, one memory replaying itself inside his head.

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Tsunade approached the second room with less caution and chuckled softly to herself as she witnessed both Naruto and Kakashi snoring away in their respective spots. Naruto had fallen asleep on the floor next to the bed and Kakashi had let his book slip into his lap as his head lolled from side to side.

The sannin's smile disappeared as she placed a hand on her apprentice's forehead. Calming herself, she applied her healing chakra to Sakura. Within a few moments the fever had broken…just as it had every day Tsunade had treated her. _I wonder,_she thought,_ will the fever return again today, as with the other days? Or will we get a small ounce of improvement?_

Only time would tell.

"Hnn…Old Lady Tsunade?" Naruto groggily shook his head.

"Alright you two," she motioned him to go wake Kakashi. "Visiting time is over. You can come back in the morning."

Naruto grumbled on his way out the door but made no other objections.

"Kakashi," Tsunade stopped him. "Sasuke is awake. You may visit him if you like."

The silver-haired ninja said nothing in acknowledgement but nodded curtly.

Once they were gone, Tsunade walked over to the window and unlatched it. She opened it slightly. The night air was warm, warmer than she wanted Sakura's room. But if her hunch was right, this was a healing step for more than just one person.

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That night…..

She hadn't moved since he'd entered the room. He could tell it wasn't a restive sort of sleep.

She _had_ moved at some point in time because the covers were kicked off of the bed.

_The night air is too warm for her. _He frowned as the little droplets of sweat were quickly absorbed into her already soaked hospital gown.

He approached the bed to see her more clearly.

It hadn't been all that long since the last time he had seen her. She had come barreling out of the caverns with fire in her eyes, ready to lay low the one they called "Sai". He had been surprised to see her, to say the least, and had even blurted out her name.

And out of all of them, she had surprised him the most by trying to attack him.

Would he have killed her, then? What if Yamato hadn't stepped in front of her? He shook his head. Those memories weren't clear to him.

How she had changed!

Something compelled him to want to touch her still-short hair, but he didn't. He just stood and watched her.

_She could have died. You could have killed her._

Sasuke stayed in Sakura's room until the rays of early morning sun began to filter through the sky. When he didn't dare wait any longer, he left for the emptiness of his own room—exiting the same way he had entered—through the window.

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Update ASAP!  
Coming soon… chapter 4- Kakashi vs. Sasuke, Sakura awakens


	4. Chapter 4

NO I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! Sheesh…

**Author's note:** I just wanted to clarify one thing… I know that Asuma was killed by Akatsuki and not Orochimaru. In chapter two, Kurenai is simply venting on ANYONE. There will come a time when revenge against Akatsuki will present itself. ( yes, that means I intend to make this one massively long saga of a story.)

And to answer another question I received…the only spoilers in here were for the people who didn't know Asuma was dead and that Sai was introduced and so on and so forth. That was why the warning was placed.

Thanks again! –Oh and I added an extra surprise to this chapter that I was going to save for later on.. but oh well.

**Chapter 4: Kakashi vs. Sasuke, Sakura Awakens, Kurenai's gift**

"Kakashi."

Sasukes weary gaze greeted the copy nin that morning as he walked into the hospital room.

"Welcome back, Uchiha Sasuke."

The use of his formal name betrayed the coolness with which his former sensei spoke. Kakashi leaned against the door frame, arms folded across his chest. "Tsunade tells me you're no threat to us now."

"You don't believe her?"

Kakashi shrugged. "I don't think I've made up my mind yet."

"I've given you no reason to doubt my word." Sasuke said.

Instantly, the silver-haired ninja was next to the bed, his face inches from the Uchiha.

His voice was barely a whisper. "Your actions have left someone close to me near death. That, I believe, is reason enough to doubt you. And the fact that you haven't even inquired about her or Naruto makes me wonder if you even care."

They stared at each other for a long, tense moment.

Finally, Sasuke broke the silence.

"Caring is the only thing that kept Orochimaru from taking over my body completely."

Backing away, Kakashi shook his head. "Then give up this foolish quest for revenge. Don't make your friends lose you again." He frowned. "And, quite frankly, I don't want to spend another three years of my life chasing after you."

"Itachi must pay." Sasuke turned his face away. "My resolve in that has not changed."

"Then mayb.."

"Kakashi!" Shizune threw open the door. "Tsunade sent me….Sakura is awake! She's asking for you."

"We'll continue this later." Kakashi strode through the door.

"Umm…Sakura…she's asking for you too, Sasuke." Shizune shifted uncomfortably in the doorway.

Sasuke couldn't meet her gaze. "I don't wish to see anyone."

Shizune's unsure expression turned to one of sadness. She closed the door without a word.

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Sakura tried her best to smile as one by one the visitors came and went. It wasn't that she didn't want to see her friends. She just didn't have the energy to give each of them the attention they wanted from her. Poor Ino had been close to tears—something Sakura had rarely, if ever, seen. Most of them came with gifts of some sort and Lee, of course, had brought her way too many flowers.

Naruto had come and gone a number of times and Sakura was surprised that he hadn't set up camp in the corner of her room.

Now here he was again, holding out a steaming cup of ramen to her, a giant grin spread across his face.

"Here, Sakura-chan. You must be hungry after sleeping for so long."

"Uhh… thanks.. Naruto…" She reached for the bowl but was saved from having to eat it by Tsunade.

"No soup yet, Naruto." The hokage handed the bowl back to him. "You'll just have to eat it for her."

"Oh, well sure! I mean, it's pretty fresh and it'd be a shame to waste a bowl of ramen."

Sakura almost laughed but the pain in her abdomen sent a searing reminder to her and she winced, doubling over.

"Sakura-chan!"

"No, Naruto, it's okay," Tsunade held him back. "Just be a little more on the quiet side until she feels better, okay?"

The kyuubi boy looked crestfallen, but he nodded and shuffled over to the corner to eat his ramen.

"Alright," Tsunade called out to the nurse in the hallway. "Hold off on the visitors for a moment."

She leaned down to Sakura, who adjusted herself on the bed. Placing a hand on her forehead, Tsunade closed her eyes. Sakura could feel the comforting sensation of the healing chakra coursing through her body. For a moment, the pain in her abdomen lessened and she gratefully relaxed.

Tsunade pulled away.

"You're healing slower than I like, "she frowned. "But perhaps when your own abilities are back, you will be able to do more on your own."

"Thank you, Tsunade."

The sannin smiled and turned to leave. " I'll let the world know they can start coming back in."

"Sakura, maybe when you're feeling better," Naruto wiped the ramen from his face, "then you can come with me to get some ramen."

She smiled, "That'd be nice, Naruto."

"Ahh," said a voice from the doorway. "That fake smile. But I don't think you're quite able to hit anyone at the moment…"

Sakura turned to see Sai, Kurenai, and Kakashi outlined in the doorway.

"She might muster up enough strength just for you, Sai," Kakashi smiled at her. "Or I'm sure Kurenai wouldn't mind doing it for her."

"That I wouldn't," The red-eyed woman walked over to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Well, for being stabbed the stomach a second time, not too bad I guess." Sakura said.

"We're just glad to have you back."

Kakashi pulled a chair up to the end of the bed, putting his feet up where he found room. While Sakura talked with Kurenai and Sai, he studied his pink-haired comrade. _Shes in more pain then shes letting on._ She looked older somehow too. Something in her eyes.

Kakashi pulled out his book for cover.

He wondered silently if Sasuke was going to come see her. _Probably not._ He cringed. No matter how much she gave him, it would never be enough. _She deserves better than thi.._

"Kakashi?"

He looked up to see the three of them staring at him. "Kakashi, you saw Sasuke this morning?"

Damn. Who had told her that? He glanced accusingly at Kurenai and Sai.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah I did."

"And?" She looked at him expectantly.

"He's healing fine."

Sakura knew she wasn't going to get more out of him than that.

At her gloomy expression, Kurenai spoke up. "Naruto… would you mind talking to me in private?"

The young man looked up, "Sure, Kurenai-sensei."

She nodded. "I'll visit again Sakura."

"And I'll be right back," Naruto assured her.

Sai took up Narutos seat. Taking out his supplies, he began to draw and Kakashi settle back in to reading his book.

This was fine with Sakura. She was beyond tired and she was more than willing to settle back into the covers of her hospital bed.

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"There is something I wanted to speak with you about." Kurenai stared out at Konoha from the roof of the hospital. "Something very important to me."

Naruto looked up at her. Kurenai continued.

"When Asuma died," she closed her eyes, "a part of me died too. And I was left with nothing but an intense feeling of loss…"

A tear slid down her cheek.

I thought that by continuing to fight, that I would lose that pain. But the killing only made it worse. I learned a valuable lesson that day near Sound. I learned that revenge is not the path for me. Asuma would not want me to live my life that way.

Naruto swallowed hard, knowing full well what revenge could do to a person.

"…But I can't go on thinking that his killers are out there and will never pay for what they've done to so many…."

She held out something to Naruto. A small parcel wrapped in cloth.

He took it slowly, his eyes wide.

Kurenai held on to the package a moment longer before saying, "He would want these to belong to you."

Opening the gift, Naruto didn't know what to say. He stared down at it for long moments before turning his blue eyes back to Kurenai. She was once again staring out at the horizon.

"I don't have the chakra to use them." She smiled, her gaze distant. "They belong to you now."

"Thank you, Kurenai-sensei," Naruto whispered, staring at the trench knives.

"Just promise me, Naruto, that if you ever get the chance…you'll use them to avenge Asuma."

"I promise." He gripped them close to his chest. "I promise."

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Sasuke was sleeping when Kakashi came back.

"You're not as quiet as you think," he said, annoyed at being woken up.

"I wasn't trying to be quiet."

"You've come to yell some more?"

The copy nin stared hard at Sasuke. "I never yell. But I have come to warn you—that I'll be watching you."

"Good to know."

Kakashi turned and left.

Sasuke stared at the ceiling. He had known that if he was ever brought back to Konoha that it would be hard. He was beginning to wonder if he even wanted to be back. There was nothing this place had to offer him.

_Nothing. _

But he knew that wasn't entirely true.

He had learned from Orochimaru that trust put in the wrong people had dire results. With his friends—if they were still his friends—he knew there would always be loyalty and…concern. They had spent years of their lives training simply to bring him back.

As much as that was comforting…was that what he wanted?

He had almost lost focus once.

Sasuke frowned.

He hadn't been this confused in a long, long time.

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Sakura wasn't sure what woke her.

She glanced around the dark room, vaguely aware that the window was open.

_What's that? _She squinted. For a moment it seemed as if there was an added darkness in the corner of her room.

_Great, you're going crazy now,_ she thought.

Sakura sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She watched the small sliver of the moon through the window. She held her head in her hands.

_He didn't come see you today. He still hates you._

She sighed. "I know, Sasuke-kun. You've always hated me."

She stood and limped her way to the bathroom, hand clutching her bandaged wound.

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Sasuke stood there for a moment after the bathroom door swung closed. He almost didn't leave. But before the door opened again he had slipped through the window and back into his own room.

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Update ASAP chapter 5: Tsunade's Offer

Summary: Is there any offer that will make Sasuke want to stay?

Sorry, I know this chapter was mostly dialogue, but twas needed to build the story :)


	5. Chapter 5

…Hey you know what I DO own… no…no, it's Not Naruto….

**Chapter 5: Tsunade's Offer**

"Alright, that's enough lying about." Kakashi sauntered into Sakura's room. "Naruto—time for you and me to go do some training."

"Awww… but Kakashi-sensei! You told me from now on I'd have to learn everything on my own."

"That doesn't mean we can't train together." He stared lazily at the blond. "Come on, I'm sure Sakura could use a break from you anyhow."

"That's not true!" Naruto said indignantly. "Sakura told me she enjoyed my company!"

He looked accusingly at her. She did her best to hide her smile.

"I do enjoy your company, Naruto, I promise. But you should go train with Kakashi. I don't want to be the strongest in the group…."

Naruto laughed. "Sakura-chan! You're almost back to your old self!"

With a final goodbye, she watched them leave, sighing as the door slammed shut behind them.

Wincing, Sakura eased herself up out of bed. Tsunade had told her not to move as much as possible, but she felt better after she walked around a little bit. She used some of her own healing ability to ease the pain, but her strength was not back to normal and she was unable to dispel it completely.

Sakura had a plan for today, and she needed to be able to walk to do it.

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Kakashi sprung backward, skipping out of the way of Naruto's attack.

The young man was going easy on him and was not using any of his elemental attacks. Kakashi smiled to himself. He wasn't sure if Naruto simply didn't want Kakashi to know all of his abilities or if he just wanted to win the harder way.

"Is that all you've got, Naruto?" He taunted.

"You won't win this time, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto rushed at him. He always preferred attacking straight on. "I'm..(punch)…gonna…(punch)…win!...(kick)"

The copy nin leapt away again.

Naruto swung at him, barely missing. It was then that Kakashi spotted the knives for the first time.

He stopped sparring. "Naruto," he pointed to where the trench knives were secured to the boy's belt. "Where did you get those?"

"Oh…Kurenai-sensei gave them to me."

Kakashi didn't know what to say. He was surprised that it had occurred to Kurenai to give them to Naruto—especially after he had seen her using them herself in battle. But he also knew that Naruto was the only sensible choice to give them to. Only he had the wind-based chakra to use them properly.

"How come you aren't using them?"

Naruto shrugged. "It just doesn't seem…right…somehow. Seems like I should only use them to protect my friends."

Kakashi chuckled. "Naruto, you're something else!"

"Are we done yet? I could use some ramen." He pulled out his wallet. "I'll even treat!"

"Well," Kakashi patted him on the back. "There's an offer I can't refuse!"

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Tsunade breathed in a deep breath as her fingers closed around the door handle. She logically had no reason to keep Sasuke in the hospital anymore. His body had fully recovered from being overtaken and any injuries he had sustained during the battle had been minor and easy to fix. She knew she couldn't pretend any longer—and Sasuke knew it too.

She opened the door and stepped into the room.

"Good afternoon, Sasuke." She set down the tray she had brought with her. Tomatoes—supposedly his favorite.

"Hokage."

She walked over to where he was standing by the window. No doubt he knew she had ANBU placed all around watching the room. She had taken a huge risk by telling them to allow his nighttime movements. But maybe—just maybe—it had paid off.

"Do you know why I'm here, Sasuke?"

"Hn." He continued staring out the window. "I suspect it has something to do with me being healed for a while now."

She nodded, standing and looking out the window with him. "That's true. And I can no longer hold you here without your consent. You see, your situation is …difficult. You are not necessarily considered a criminal, but you are no longer considered part of Leaf."

He glanced over at her but remained silent.

"So, I'm here to offer you a deal," She continued. "I'm going to start with a question, though…."

"Yes," Sasuke said. "Yes, I do still intend to kill Itachi."

The hokage nodded. "I thought as much. So here's my offer…

"…you stay in Konaha…do your best to make amends for the harm you have caused… and in return—

"—in return I'll give your team the purpose of destroying Akatsuki."

She had Sasuke's attention.

"Now, your team will be one of two…I already have Shikamaru's team assigned to the same detail. But after what happened to Asuma… the more the better."

"Asuma?"

She had forgotten he probably didn't know.

"Yes, Asuma was killed a few months ago by the Akatsuki. We have mourned him greatly."

Sasuke did not reply.

"I'll give you today to think it over. I seriously hope that you will consider it. Goodness knows the elders fought me tooth and nail about it…" She shook her head. "That's nothing new, though."

"Think on it," she said, walking to the door. "I'll be back later this evening."

Sasuke said nothing as she walked out the door. This was definitely unexpected.

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The floor was cold on her feet but Sakura ignored it. She wrapped the thin hospital blanket tighter around her shoulders. Carefully, she descended the stairs, watchful to avoid the night nurses. Sakura was grateful that she had learned the ins and outs of the hospital so well. It was easier than one would think to avoid being seen.

Finally on the floor she wanted, she padded quietly down the hallway, stopping finally at the last door on her right.

The cloaked ANBU standing in the shadows at the end of the hallway let her pass without question.

Knocking timidly, she waited—but the door did not open.

Sakura frowned. _Maybe he's sleeping already. _She turned to leave but was startled by the ANBU standing only inches from her. Without a word, he reached out and opened the door for her.

"Thank…you…"Sakura stepped through. The door shut softly behind her.

"I told them no visitors," said a voice near the window.

Sasuke sat, feet propped up on the window sill, staring out at the setting sun.

"Oh… I'm sorry..I just…" _No, wait a second!_ Sakura's eyes narrowed. "But you saw Kakashi."

Sasuke was silent.

She leaned against the door, her wound throbbing from all her activity. "…You mean you told them you didn't want certain visitors…"

"Sakura, you shouldn't have come here."

_Damnit! Was there anything he said that didn't hurt her?  
_

But Sakura had grown much over the years Sasuke was gone and she was no longer outwardly phased by his cold words. She wanted to walk closer to him but her body was shaking with the effort to remain standing—small hints of perspiration appearing on her brow. She gripped the molding tighter.

Sasuke heard her sigh.

"Are you feeling better?" She asked.

"I heal quickly."

There was a long silence. Sakura gingerly touched her bandaged abdomen. She held her fingers up to her face. In the dim light she could see a smear of blood. Her wound had opened. She closed her eyes, using the little chakra she had left to slow the bleeding. Tsunade was going to kill her—if she didn't kill herself.

Sakura gritted her teeth. "So…when are you planning on leaving?"

Sasuke turned and looked at her. He frowned at the sight of her white-knuckle grip on the door frame, the way she was shaking, the look of intense pain on her face.

He didn't answer her.

Sakura swallowed. "Well," she said, "I just wanted to say it was good to have you ba..bac…"

Before she could hit the floor, Sasuke was next to her, lifting her up. He had done it so many times in the past—and he had done it this time without thinking.

"Sakura," he said gently, aware that she probably could not hear him. "You should not have come here."

Gently nudging open the door, he stepped out into the hallway.

_Where's that damn ANBU when I need him?_

Sasuke frowned. It had been a long time since he had been in the hospital. He wasn't sure if he remembered how to get to Sakura's room.

_You can't just stand here holding her like an idiot. _He was annoyed. But he was annoyed at himself.

The walk to Sakura's room was not a long one, but on the way, Sasuke found himself thinking back to the past of team 7. They had meant something to him once. He knew they still did. But the memories from his stay at Orochimaru's had changed him. He knew things now that he could not forget.

"_I have already lost everything once."  
_

"_I never want to see an important friend die in front of me again."_

He had said that, once. He had meant it with his entire being. How could it have changed so much? So much that he would have killed them without a second thought? His best friends.

How do you say you're sorry for something like that?

"S-sasuke?" Sakura looked up at him, her eyes glazed and unfocused.

He kept his expression blank, reaching out and opening the door to her room.

He had placed her on the bed, about to toss her sheets over her when he noticed the blood on his arm.

"Saukra…"

She rolled weakly on the bed to look at him.

He looked at her hospital gown where a small patch of blood had seeped through. Suddenly angry, he grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her. "Why? Why were you so foolish? You should have known better than to get out of bed!"

Her eyes went wide. "I just wanted to see you before you left," she whispered.

Sasuke sat on the bed, his back to her.

"I'm not leaving, Sakura. I've already talked to Tsunade."

She shivered, watching him with eyes full of fever. "Then…why didn't you come see me or Naruto?"

He couldn't answer her.

"Naruto… he's done so much…he's given so much for you…" her voice softened. "I won't let you just push him aside."

Sasuke looked at her, his face blank but inside he was shocked. She had changed so much. He almost thought that was a threat.

As Sasuke stood, Sakura coughed painfully.

It was harder than he thought it would be to walk to the door.

He stopped just inches from it and leaned his forehead against the smooth wood. "Sakura," he said, his fingers on the door handle, "I'm sorry."

And then he left.

She lay there for a while after, shaking and in pain, but she had a small smile on her face when Tsunade and the nurses came rushing in to help her.

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Coming ASAP- Chapter 6 : Training and Gaining back Trust

I may submit chapter six later today… it'll depend on how much free time I have! Don't worry, more action coming soon.


	6. Chapter 6

…someday I'd like to meet the person who owns Naruto…cause it's NOT me….

**Chapter 6: Training and Gaining back Trust**

Kakashi stared at the polished head stone. _So many mistakes._ _So many mistakes being re-lived by a younger generation._ The similarity of himself to Uchiha Sasuke chilled him to the bone. Perhaps that was why Kakashi was so unwilling to put his trust back in the newest 'old' member of the team. Perhaps that's why he needed to the most.

_You're late as usual._ He thought to himself. _Eh, why break the habit now?_

He walked back toward the Hokage's palace. They were all to meet in Tsunade's office. It was a meeting Kakashi was not looking forward too.

Naruto, no doubt, would be thrilled… but Sai—who had voiced obvious disgust about Sasuke previously—would not be easy to win over.

And then there was Sakura.

In the week since her relapse, she had made a remarkable recovery. The pink haired ninja was now almost at her full chakra capacity and the wound that had caused her so much trouble seemed to be sealed for good.

Kakashi had faith that she was able to heal herself well enough to be out of the hospital. But he was leery of taking her out on a mission.

He wasn't even sure if the team was going to remain together. Yamato was needed to keep Naruto's kyuubi in check… that would make six of them.

Kakashi frowned as he stepped through the entrance to the palace.

He didn't like not knowing what would happen next.

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_Damn that Kakashi_. Tsunade eyed the clock in annoyance. If she hadn't had such an audience, she would have been tempted to break something.

Rubbing her forehead, she glanced at Naruto, Sakura, Sai and Yamato. They were undoubtedly aware of who she was waiting on.

She had asked Sasuke to come later than everyone else…but if Kakashi didn't arrive soon, she wouldn't have enough time to tell them what she wanted to before the Uchiha's arrival.

She had just squeezed her hand into a fist when the door swung open.

"I don't even want to know," She glared at the silver-haired ninja. "You of all people should have been here _first_."

"Old Lady Tsunade, come on! We've been here forever already!"

She glanced in exasperation at Naruto. His arms were folded across his chest and he tapped his foot impatiently.

"Naruto!" Sakura whispered. "Don't speak to Tsunade-sama like that!"

"Alright, alright!" the sannin threw her hands up in surrender. "You all know why you're here—

"—you've been given a new mission. It's one I think you're already familiar with, especially if you've talked to team 10 lately—"

"—Akatsuki…much more than just a thorn in our side. They are becoming more powerful, more bold, and much more active then they had been—"

"—I know it is only a matter of time before they come here…in search of the Kyuubi."

She glanced at Naruto. His expression was one of shame—she knew he hated feeling like he put everyone at risk.

She continued on. "The elders have ripped into me about putting your team out there with the chance that Akatsuki could get the Nine Tails, but I have faith in Naruto…as I have faith in all of you—"

"—It will be best if you are the hunters and not the hunted."

"Alright!" Naruto punched his hand with his other fist. "Finally! Back out on duty!"

"Don't be reckless," the Hokage pointed her finger at him. "There's something else I want to talk to you about…"

She suspected they knew what was coming.

"Uchiha Sasuke will be rejoining team 7." She let that sink in. "Each of you are to act as if he is your team mate and not under your surveillance. However….any suspicious behavior is to be immediately reported back to me. Understood?"

The door to her office opened again.

Sasuke, his face blank as usual, did not acknowledge the four people staring at him.

It was the first time Naruto had seen him since his recovery.

Before Tsunade knew what was happening, the blond had moved across the office and was standing an arm's breadth from Sasuke.

It felt as if everyone in the room had stopped breathing and everyone tensed in anticipation.

The two stared at each other, expressionless, unspeaking.

But just as suddenly, a huge grin split Naruto's face from ear to ear and he held out his hand. Sasuke accepted the shake uncertainly and was unprepared for the hug Naruto pulled him in to.

The shocked silence in the Hokage's office continued until Sasuke said calmly, "Naruto…"

"…you're going to break my back."

"Oh…sorry, Sasuke." Naruto went back to his respective place by Sakura.

Tsunade relaxed slightly. "I think everyone knows each other. I suggest you start preparing to leave. I'll give you the final okay once I speak with Jiryia. Until then, spend some time together and get used to one another…again."

She waved them away.

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"What better way to start off than with ramen?" Naruto argued. "We can all sit down and talk. That's what Old Lady Tsunade wanted."

"You just want to stuff your face," Sakura shoved him.

"Heeeey! Sakura-chan! Watch it with that monsterous strength!"

Kakashi glanced at them from over the top of his book. "Actually, I'm rather hungry myself."

"All of you eat way too much," Sai shook his head, giving them the best smile he could manage. "Especially you, Sakura Hag. It's a good thing you had some time off in the hospital."

Sakura smiled at him sweetly, inching closer so she could have a clear shot to punch him. But Sai had learned that lesson the hard way, and wisely moved out of her range.

Sasuke watched all this with apparent disinterest. He was too aware of the fact that Yamato and Kakashi were barely taking their eyes off of him. While it annoyed him slightly, he understood their concern. _Better that they care enough to watch,_ he thought.

"Alright, the ramen shack it is," Kakashi turned down the street. "I'll even let Yamato pay."

"Hey, but I…" The ANBU shook his head. "Fine, I remember… something about it being my honor to pay or some such nonsense."

Kakashi nodded.

Sakura chuckled, but winced in pain. Instantly, Naruto was at her side. "Sakura-chan!"

"I'm alright, Naruto. Don't worry so much."

Sasuke looked away from them and down at the ground as he walked. _Some things haven't changed._ The thought troubled him.

Years ago, back when they were a team—back when they were friends—Sasuke had noticed Naruto's feelings for Sakura. He had also noticed that she hadn't returned them, no matter how hard their loud-mouth friend had tried to catch her attention.

And because Naruto was his friend—his best friend—Sasuke had decided to ignore Sakura. But she had always been there for him, and that had meant more to him than anything.

And it seemed his old friend still felt strongly for the pink-haired young woman.

On the outside, Sasuke was as collected as always. On the inside his mind was going crazy.

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"Alright," Kakashi set down his chop sticks.

"Here's the plan," he pulled four bells out of his pocket. "Since our team is much larger than usual… and since not all of you have been privileged to have experienced this before…."

Sakura and Naruto groaned.

"Yamato will have one set of bells, and I will have the other. Sai, Sakura—you're one team. Naruto, Sasuke—you're the other."

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura rolled her eyes, "We already know your weakness."

"Yeah, don't you think we've been through the bell test enough times?"

Kakashi frowned. He really wanted to see how far Sasuke had advanced. He could think of no other way to do it.

"I have an idea," Yamato spoke up, his eyes on the bill. "I'll hold all four bells. Whoever doesn't get one at the end of the exercise has to pay for our next collective meal."

Kakashi looked smug. "You're going to make _me_ do my own bell test?"

"That's right. And out of everyone…you're going to be the one I don't want to get the bell. So think about that."

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Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi stared in dismay at the huge wooden fortress Yamato had summoned out of the forest floor.

Insanely high walls with cruelly pointed tops surrounded the building like a fence. Inside that was another layer of protection—an all-encasing cage of wood. Within those structures was an doorless, windowless wooden building. And inside that building was Yamato.

"He's really mad about paying that ramen bill," Kakashi grumbled.

"Oh come on, Kakashi-sensei. It's not that hard to get through." Sakura held up a fist menacingly. "It's only made of wood."

She stepped next to the structure, her fist glowing with chakra. "All…it takes.. is….a little….(punch)…muscle!"

Kakashi just shook his head as a huge portion of the outer wall crumbled before Sakura.

"No way!" Naruto called over to him. "This way is much easier!"

The kyuubi boy had used his clones to form a ladder to the top of the wall. As Kakashi watched, he slipped over the top of the wall and disappeared.

_Well this is embarrassing._ The copy-nin scratched his head. He could just follow in Sakura's wake of destruction. There wouldn't be any shame in that…would there?

Sai cruised by overhead on a massive drawn bird. Seeing Kakashi still on the ground, he gave a friendly wave.

_Damnit._ The only one he hadn't seen was Sasuke. _Who knows how he'll get in. But I'm not getting stuck with the ramen bill!_

Kakashi frowned. He decided to take the easy way out and used his chakra to climb up the side of the wood wall.

On the inside, he was posed with a different problem. He could easily walk over this …but that would get him no where. The top was enclosed with bars made of wood as well.

It wasn't hard to see how Sakura had gotten through…no doubt she was already inside the inner building. Even Sai was easily able to draw a way through the strange pen. Naruto had put his clones to work and was now strolling through the tunnel they had made him underneath the barrier.

"Humph." Yamato had really made this Kakashi-proof. Well, he wouldn't be outdone. Making the signs as quickly as possible, Kakashi summoned his jutsu One Thousand Birds.

With the lightening charge, he was easily able to cut through the outer cage and the inner building as well.

But he his jaw dropped when he realized he was the last one inside.

"Kakashi, glad you could join us," Yamato chuckled, holding up his empty hands. "But as you can see, I'm all out of bells to give."

"That wasn't really the way the test is supposed to go," the silver-haired ninja frowned beneath his mask. "It's supposed to be about teamwork. Not a race to see who can get here first."

Sakura smiled, offering him the bell she had won. "Why didn't you just follow me in? I let a big enough pathway behind me."

"Hn." Kakashi refused the bell. "And Sasuke… how did you beat me in here? I didn't see you the entire time!?!"

The dark haired team member shrugged. "I just followed Sakura in."

Kakashi shook his head. "What a terrible bell test. I'm ashamed to even have been a part of it."

As he turned to leave, Yamato called back at him, "Just remember your wallet tomorrow!"

Kakashi sighed. Some things would never change.

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**Author's note:** Alright, this isn't my favorite chapter…I'm actually kinda disappointed in it. We'll just consider this a "filler" chapter. Next one will be way better, I promise.

Coming ASAP: Chapter 7: Jiryia's discovery, The first Mission.


	7. Chapter 7

…If you own Naruto, please raise your hand….doesn't raise hand….

**Author/Story note:** For those of you who don't know…each Akatsuki member has an "irreplaceable" ring they wear that corresponds with their placement in the order. Orochimaru used to be a member of Akatsuki… and when he left, he took his ring with him.

**Chapter 7: Jiraiya's Discovery, The First Mission**

He raised a bloody hand to his head, wiping the white hair off his brow. It had been a long time since he'd been injured like this. _Not since Naruto went four-tails on me… _

The Hokage's palace was almost in view. In the dim light of early dawn, he stumbled down the street, his hope placed in a woman who had left him beaten and broken far worse than this in the past. _Well, you **were **trying to look at her in the women's bath house._ He smiled. She had tried to teach him a lesson—one he had chosen to ignore.

_Almost there, just keep it moving…_

Jiraiya stumbled up the steps to the palace, sprawling out once he reached the double doors. Lying on his back in front of them, he reached up with one arm and knocked loudly. The sound echoed out through the empty streets.

"I'm here to see Tsunade," he mumbled to the poor guard who found him.

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"Jiraiya?"

His eyes tried to focus on the voice.

"Well…he's still out… go ahead and take that book you found on him. I'm sure he wouldn't mind it being read before its official release…"

"What!?!" The Toad Sage sat up instantly. "That's a rare piece of art! You can't just take a man's property like that!"

He relaxed when he saw Tsunade's smirk. There was no one else in the room.

"I thought that might do the trick," she said, her arms crossed. "It was that or bring in some of the younger nurses—and I didn't think that would be appropriate."

"Well, you know, I probably would feel better if I had round-the-clock care, I mean with this wound and all…"

"Your wound is just about healed. More blood loss than anything else." Her tone turned serious. "What exactly happened out there?"

"Eh, I let my guard down like the old fool I am."

The Hokage inched her chair closer to the bed. "Orochimaru's old hide-out?"

He nodded.

"I went there hoping to find that ring of his before the Akatsuki learned of his death. Seems I wasn't the first one there though."

He closed his eyes, remembering the underground maze that had served as Orochimaru's final lair.

It hadn't been hard to find. The entrance was not far from the site of the final battle. He had snuck in all the same, aware that some of the injured Sound ninja's may have returned there after waking from Kurenai's genjutsu.

The place was a labyrinth of tunnels and rooms, each one holding its own sick secret. The sight of some of those experiments would never leave his mind. He had no idea of just how much death Orochimaru had required to continue in his quest of forbidden jutsus. Thinking of it made him shiver involuntarily.

"I had been down there for two or three days," He told his old team mate. "And I hadn't found a thing. It was as I was about to rest when I noticed some kind of strange clicking noise in the hallway outside—"

"—I stepped out to see what was going on…sure didn't _sound_ like anything dangerous…and BAM! A damn exploding clay rat."

"Akatsuki," Tsunade drew in a breath.

Jiraiya nodded, looking down. "I didn't see any members, I think that perhaps it had been left as a trap for whoever ventured in after them. That person just happened to be me. I'm guessing they will return to see if indeed anyone else was there."

"Do you think they have the ring?"

He shook his head. "I doubt it. I wouldn't see the need of leaving a trap down there if they had gotten what they came for. There are so many rooms—they probably didn't search them all yet. No doubt some other business took them away."

"Well…at least you're alright." She frowned at his look of triumph. "Don't read into that too much."

"Of course not, Tsunade. Of course not." He smiled wickedly.

She stood. "I'm going to leave before I end up in one of your novels."

"I see you haven't read volume two yet?"

Murder in her eyes, she turned and left the room.

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"So here's the deal," Tsunade leaned back in her office chair. "Take your team to the location Jiraiya disclosed. There you'll wait for the Akatsuki to reappear. Depending on how many and what the situation is, take them out if you think it's possible."

"How long are we supposed to wait?"

"Give them four days, if they don't show, leave part of the team there and report back." She ignored Kakashi's look of disproval. "If you see them, follow them inside."

"You're the boss, Hokage."

"How are things…with the group?"

His eye looked at her lazily. "No problems so far. Sometimes it seems like he never left…"

Tsunade shook her head. "I don't know if that's a good thing or not. I guess only time will tell."

The copy nin nodded.

After he left, the blond woman looked in despair at the paperwork piled around her desk. It was the least of her worries, but the first thing she needed to get done. She wondered if she and Jiraiya had made the right decision by not telling team 7 about the ring.

More than likely Sasuke knew exactly where it was.

But Jiraiya was less inclined than Tsunade to trust the Uchiha yet. Maybe, just maybe, he would lead them to the ring of his own accord. Even back to his old self, he must know how important the piece of jewelry was. And it was possible that he never had a chance to wrestle that information from Orochimaru's consiousness. Tsunade wasn't sure just how "complete" something like a body take-over was. She didn't know if Sasuke had all of Orochimaru's knowledge.

And until she was sure they could trust him, he was going to be kept in the dark.

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"Sakura," Sasuke greeted her as she passed him on the way to the hospital.

"Oh, hey Sasuke-kun. On your way to train?"

"No." He changed direction to walk with her.

She could think of no other way to initiate conversation and instead just kept on walking, eyes staring forward.

"You've become a lot like Tsunade," he said. "I should have guessed you'd become a medical-specialist."

"Well, I needed to be stronger for my team. It was time I did something about it. It's not right to always hide behind Naruto and just expect him to save me."

He cast her a side-ways glance, careful not to turn his head. He noticed she was relaxed, walking with her head up, full of confidence he was unused to seeing. At least she was at ease with him. He did not get that impression from all of his new teammates.

"Sakura-chan! Sasuke!"

The Uchiha looked up to see Naruto and Sai waiting a ways further up the street. "I didn't know you were meeting them here."

Sakura smiled, "I didn't know either. They're probably just on their way to the academy to meet Kakashi-sensei."

"You know you don't have to call him that anymore." Sasuke seemed annoyed.

"Well…I know…it's just habit, I guess." She looked at him with uncertainty, wondering what had shifted his mood so suddenly. "I've been calling him 'sensei' for years."

"Sasuke!" Naruto closed the gap between them. "I didn't know you were coming this way too."

"Hn." Sasuke replied.

"Are you heading to the academy to train too?"

"Sasuke doesn't have anyone worthy of training with," Sai said casually. "He's probably just out for a walk." The former ROOT member was still annoyed at Sasuke's lack of action during the bell test a few days ago. He knew the Uchiha genius had deliberately avoided using any of his techniques.

Sasuke ignored the comment—and ignored Sai completely.

Of all his teammates, he knew Sai regarded him as a traitor and an enemy. And the artistic ninja was extremely protective of his new friends.

Naruto seemed oblivious to the tension in the air. "Oh well, that's true. Sasuke has always been the best ninja from Leaf." He seemed to be genuinely thinking about the dilemma. "But I bet Sakura has him beat in strength."

The pink-haired medic shot him a menacing look. "I know I could pound you well enough!"

"Sorry Sakura-chan! On our next date I'll treat for the ramen to make up for it!"

Sasuke went deathly still.

Had he just heard Naruto correctly?

Sai did not miss Sasuke's reaction. As a highly trained specialist, he was able to read body movement—and the lack of it as well. Though he felt no kinship towards the traitor, he felt inclined to clear the air. "Naruto thinks _any_ alone time with Sakura is a date." He made eye contact with Sasuke.

The Uchiha's face was blank.

Sakura and Naruto, though, thought nothing of it, and went on in normal conversation until they were interrupted by the form of Yamato approaching.

"Good, I'm glad you're all here together." He was legitimately surprised. "We've got our mission orders, we leave in one hour."

He handed them all a copy of Tsunade's instructions. "We'll meet Kakashi at the gates. Don't be late, I'm gonna head to the academy to get some last things together."

"Oh hey!" Naruto jumped to his side." Sai and I were just on our way over there. We'll tag along--"

"—See you guys later!" He waved to Sakura and Sasuke.

"See you guys later!" Sakura returned the wave.

She and Sasuke continued walking toward the hospital. Along the way, Sasuke noticed the looks and whispers spreading through the town's folk as he passed. If they distrusted Naruto for holding the kyuubi, he couldn't even imagine how they felt towards him.

"Thanks for walking with me, Sasuke-kun." They had stopped in front of the hospital. "I'll see you in a bit."

He nodded, wanting to return her smile… but it had been so long since he had done it, he didn't think his mouth remembered how. Instead, he inclined his head, and walked away.

He knew, instinctively, when she had gone inside and found himself grinding his teeth in doubt.

Had he done the right thing?

He was glad she hadn't noticed. With her would be the safest place for it. There was no doubt about that. She was the medic and as such, not a huge part of the fighting force of the team. If anything, she was the one everyone protected the most. And he knew that Kakashi would be the most careful with her. Besides, if all else failed, Sakura was able to hold her own.

He relaxed slightly. He had done what he had to.

And it was unlikely that Sakura would notice the strange ring that was now being carried around in her kunai pouch.

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"Alright, you all know the plan. Teams of two. Sakura, you're with Yamato. Naruto—Sai. Sasuke…you're with me."

Kakashi looked at each team member.

"It'll take us a few days to get there, so stick together. I've got faith in all of you but we have to keep our defenses up always."

Everyone nodded.

The group moved swiftly through the trees, everyone thinking separate thoughts about what was to come.

They hadn't gotten far before it started to rain.

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Coming ASAP (though I might need a day for a break soon guys) **Chapter 8: Akatsuki vs. Team 7**


	8. Chapter 8

…If I owned Naruto…that would mean I could draw…which I cannot…

**Chapter 8: Akatsuki vs. Team 7**

The rain slowed early in the morning on the third day.

Naruto scanned the sky as the droplets began to cease, glad that they would have a break from the cold, wet weather.

_Where the hell are they?_ He squinted, his gaze back on the landscape before him. Their waiting limit was almost up.

Team 7 had no camp to speak of in the small grove of trees and brush where they set up surveillance. No fire was allowed; no dry cabin summoned by Yamato. They were all wet, they were all cold, and they were all on edge.

_What I wouldn't give for a steaming bowl of ramen right now…_

The blond looked through the trees to his left, eyes searching for the watching form of Sai. But it was no use. His conversationally-challenged teammate was invisible amidst the leaves and scratchy underbrush.

Naruto sighed. Absent mindedly, his fingers brushed the cold metal of Asuma's blades. _What I wouldn't give to see that bastard today…_

"Naruto,"

He turned to see Sasuke standing behind him.

"Go get some sleep, your watch is up."

"Oh hey, Sasuke." Naruto gave him a half-smile. "I hope your watch goes quicker than mine did. Geez, I thought the sun would never come up."

Naruto stood and stretched his arms up, leaning backwards. He caught a glimpse of Kakashi striding off to relieve Sai.

"It's all yours, Sasuke." He clapped the Uchiha on the back.

Despite the annoyed look on his friend's face, Naruto thought he saw the corner of Sasuke's lip curl up in what could only be called a smile.

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_It's so easy for Naruto._ Sasuke sat quietly. _To accept me so quickly—that strange ability he has…He forgives old friends as quickly as he makes new ones._

Once again Sasuke found himself caught up in past memories. As much as he and Naruto had hated each other in the beginning, he had never had a better friend. There were no other people aside from the kyuubi boy and the pink-haired girl who would have fought to the death for him.

He spared a brief glance at the sleeping form of Sakura. He was putting her in danger—a danger she wasn't even aware of.

He could have given the ring to Tsunade…but that would be risking the elders getting a hold of it. And from what he knew of Sai, there was at least one elder who was not on the side of the Hokage. It was too risky. If that ring found its way back into the hands of Akatsuki then their circle would be complete and the statue could be awakened…

Besides, there was no one more incapable of evil than Sakura and for that reason there was no where safer for the small piece of metal.

He turned his impassive face back towards the hidden entrance. He had lived there, once. Though he harbored no longing to return, he could still see every turn, every tunnel, and every room. He could even remember some of the experiments.

Sasuke pushed the images away. He knew there was no way to ever make right some of the things Orochimaru had done to those…people. He knew he was as much to blame as the former sannin.

A cool breeze had picked up where the rain let off.

There was still no sign of Akatsuki.

Further down the brush lot, Kakashi too, sat in deep thought. He had noticed how Naruto had completely absolved Sasuke of his wrongs. And he appeared at complete ease around the Uchiha…even though Sasuke had once tried to kill him.

_That Naruto…_

_He's really something else…_

Kakashi was grateful that there was no hostility between the two. He was glad for Naruto that he now had his best friend back. It was something Kakashi himself would have given anything for.

But what disturbed him was the slight change in attitude towards Sakura.

Kakashi was, in a way, relieved that Sasuke wasn't as cruel towards her as he had been years ago. _After the sacrifices she made for him…_  
It was only right that he cut her some slack.

However… Sakura now seemed to be the one Sasuke was most comfortable around. And that worried Kakashi—for Naruto's sake.

Sakura and Naruto were close. And he could never see Sasuke caring for Sakura as much as the aspiring-hokage did.

He sighed. Good old Team 7.

A movement caught his eye.

_There! Something moving among the rocks!_

Sasuke had seen it too. The Uchiha stood swiftly and headed over to wake up the rest of the team.

The six-man cell gathered along the edge of the bracken.

"Alright, remember—two man teams…no one gets separated." Kakashi kept his eyes trained on the rocks where the shadow had disappeared. "Sasuke and I go first, Yamato and Sakura bring up the rear."

The copy nin lifted the cloth from over his sharingan eye. "No one attacks until I give the word."

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They waited just long enough to provide a cushion of space between them and their adversary. Then, with silent stealth, they entered the abandoned lair.

A steady drip-drip-drip of water could be heard somewhere in the tunnels ahead, but for the most part the rock was smooth and dry.

Yamato nudged Sakura.

He inclined his head towards the candles on the walls. Someone had already lit them.

"Wait!" Sai pulled out a parchment from his pack. "Let me send some search rats ahead of us. I'll be able to keep track of them so we'll know which way the Akatsuki are going. We'll be able to avoid checking every room that way."

He lay the drawing on the cold floor, flooding it with his chakra, bringing the drawings to life.

The rodents scurried away from them.

After a few minutes, Sai nodded. "Second turn on our left."

"I had forgotten how powerful your jutsu was…" Sasuke did not look back at Sai as he spoke. "I believe that's how you first tracked me…wasn't it?"

"That's how I track down all my… targets," Sai did not look at Sasuke either. But he had avoided using the word traitor.

They rounded the turn.

"What is it you think they're after in here, anyway?" Yamato asked. "Seems kind of pointless now that the old snake-summoner is dead."

Kakashi glanced sideways at Sasuke. "Maybe there are documents—knowledge they might want. Could even be the chance of money." _There's more to it than that though._ Kakashi was sure of it.

But Sasuke remained silent.

"Two of them…" Sai reported, his eyes closed. "In the large chamber up a head…"

"Damnit! Get down!"

At Kakashi's yell they scattered, leaping out of the way of the blast that rocked the tunnel.

Sakura looked up, assessing each person. No one seemed to be injured.

"A warning blast," Naruto brushed his clothes off. "that was one of those clay creatures! That girly-looking Akatsuki must be here!"

"Deidara," Kakashi nodded, remembering their last run-in with the exploding clay user. But he was somewhat pleased. In the confines of the underground rooms, the Akatsuki was at a disadvantage. It would take some tricky work to surprise Team 7 at this close of range.

"Oh," came the disappointed voice from the chamber before them. "It's you again, Doujutsu user. And I see you've brought….mmm…this is unexpected."

The blond Akatsuki eyed Sasuke suspiciously. "I didn't know it was possible for the host to survive after a body take over."

The rest of Team 7 spread out into the room.

"And _you_!" Deidara pointed an accusing finger at Sakura. "You and that old woman killed Sasori!"

Sakura glared at him, her hands balled into fists. _Where's the other one?_

Naruto stepped protectively in front of Sakura. "That's right you asshole! And there's six of us and only one of you!"

"An inconvience…yeah," the Akatsuki looked back to Sasuke. "But maybe we can make a deal and no one here will have to die today."

"No deals," Kakashi said calmly. "We're here for one purpose."

Deidara looked surprised. "You're not after…anything…mmm?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"What are talking about?" Naruto stepped forward. "We're here to kick your ass!"

"Mmmm…maybe you should ask Sasuke-sama why I'm here."

Kakashi looked over at the Uchiha. His expression said plainly 'if you know something, you'd better tell me _now'._

"There's nothing of value hidden _in this place_." The raven-haired young man was stone-faced. "You're wasting your time."

"We'll see about that…" Deidara's hands shot out, the mouths on his palms open. Clay began pouring out of them, snaking its way towards the Leaf ninjas.

Instantly, Naruto was in the air, his hands signing as quickly as possible. "Shadow clone replication!"

Three other Naruto's appeared.

Kakashi cursed silently to himself. _Naruto…always rushing in!_ He couldn't use his special sharingan with the boy so close to Deidara. It would have been a quick way to end the battle.

Instead, he was forced to jump out of the way of the bursting clay, rolling along the edge of the wall, further away from the team.

He looked up to see a masked figure appear behind Yamato, Sakura, and Sai just as the three of them hurtled away from their own mounds of dangerous dirt.

_Where was Sasuke?_

"Well, well." The new arrival leaned against the entrance way. "Did you forget about me?" He struck with lightening speed and clubbed Yamato with his right hand while viciously kicking at Sai with his left leg.

"And you…"Sasuke emerged from the wall, "…must have forgotten about _me_!" Out of his hand appeared a multitude of snakes, the creatures swiftly wrapping themselves around the struggling form of Tobi.

Sasuke's eyes glowed red with anger.

"Uchiha Sasuke!" The strangled voice of Tobi said in disbelief. "I never thought I'd see those eyes on any one other than…"

"Don't say his name…" Sasuke growled menacingly. "He is no family of mine."

"Sasuke!" Suddenly he was tackled from behind.

Sai rolled aside as the flying bird exploded inches from where the Uchiha had been standing.

They stared at each other for a moment, neither one speaking. Sai held Sasuke's look dispite the sharingan. "Naruto and Sakura taught me the importance of teammates."

Sasuke wasn't sure how to respond.

"Shit, Sakura…"

Yamato groggily got to his feet, the blow to his neck and shoulders sending a searing pain up behind his eyes. _Damn it, he was supposed to protect the girl._

But the pink haired medic had adopted much from her mentor, Tsunade. The three of them saw her swinging with deadly force at the dodging form of Tobi.

The walls—the floor—the ceiling—all crumbled in as Sakura tried to land a punch on the moving Akatsuki.

_Damn he's fast!_ Her eyes narrowed. _But I can be faster!_

"Sakura!" She heard Naruto call from somewhere across the immense room.

He and Kakashi had cornered Deidara, the clay-master breathing heavily, blood and sweat dripping down his face. And Naruto reluctantly turned his attention away from Sakura's battle and back to the matter at hand.

"You can't win!" Deidara smiled wickedly. "Akatsuki…we have a plan…a grand plan! And in the end, no matter how many of us you kill… we'll still win!"

"I don't think so," Naruto's blue eyes looked solemnly at his enemy. "This is the end, and you lose!"

The final attack was landed by Yamato.

The ANBU member shrugged at a bewildered Naruto, the boy's hand still in the air—ready to strike.

"Yamato-oo" He frowned. "That was supposed to be my punch!"

"Come on," he gave Naruto his best demonic look. "One down, One to go."

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"Stupid girl!" Tobi skipped away as Sakura's punch landed with crushing power into the wall. "Where in the world did you get such strength?"

They moved with dizzying speed around the room, both unaware of the other happenings around them.

As Sakura leaned in for another strike, two swirling puffs of smoke surrounded her.

_What the hell?_ She coughed, finally looking around to see where the rest of the team was.

They were in mid-stride, speedily crossing the small distance that separated them.

Something reached out of the smoke and grabbed Sakura's belt.

"Haruno Sakura, isn't it?" The voice chilled her to the core.

Instinctively, she transferred more chakra into her hands, her fingers signing even as she whispered "mystical palm technique."

She struck out at whatever held her, her hands cutting like scalpels.

A shriek...and then.. time seemed to stop.

Suddenly, there was a massive discharge of energy. It sent Sakura flying across the room along with the rest of her team.

Whatever had held her had grabbed a hold of her pouch as she was thrown back—and kunais lay strewn across the floor in her wake.

Sakura looked up, her face bruised. A small trail of blood trickled down from her nose. She looked around at her other team mates.

_They're trapped in some kind of genjutsu! _

Three cloaked figured slowly made their way toward her. But as she watched them, something glimmered at the corner of her vision. For reasons unknown to her, she reached out for it, hiding the motion by acting like she was getting up.

"I don't think so," Someone kicked her hard in the chest, knocking her back onto the floor.

She glanced up, her breath catching in her throat.

"That's right." He said calmly. "You know who I am."

She avoided his eyes. _Remember, Sakura! Look only at his feet!_

She clutched the cool metal object tightly in her hand. She didn't think they had noticed her pick it up.

"Listen closely to me," he knelt down to her, his face inches from her ear. "I'll let you live, just this once. Don't make the mistake of coming after us again. Deidara was the weakest among us. Remember that."

Uchiha Itachi stood.

Sakura watched their feet as they walked away, A gruff voice said, "Good thing we got here in time to save your hide, Tobi. You got Deidara's ring?"

"Yeah," the masked Akatsuki replied.

The three of them vanished as quickly as they had appeared.

Climbing over to her twitching companions one by one, Sakura released them from the genjutsu.

She relayed what had happened, avoiding eye contact with Sasuke. She was still clutching the ring tightly.

_How had it gotten into her kunai pouch?_ She had a good idea. She also had a good idea as to it was. She had seen a similar one on Itachi's hand as he had leaned near her.

Kakashi let out a deep breath, his hand on Sakura's shoulder, his eye looking at the body of Deidara. "Well, it wasn't a complete success, but I'd say it could have been worse."

Yamato nodded, rubbing his sore neck. "Good work _everyone_." He meant it. He had seen Sasuke fight for them. It was a good step towards trust.

"Alright, let's head out. This time, we'll let Yamato make us a decent place to sleep."

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It was late.

So late that Sasuke almost went immediately back to sleep.

He looked over to where Sakura hade been lying. She was not there.

Sitting up abruptly, he looked around the modest cabin Yamato had summoned. Against the incoming light of the moon, Sasuke saw Sakura's outline at the window.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" He stood and walked over, staring out the window as well.

She didn't reply.

Sasuke noticed her hand was clenched into a fist, her arm shaking with how tightly she had it closed.

Her eyes were angry.

"Go back to bed." Sasuke turned to go back to his own mat.

She continued to ignore him, her fist clenching tighter. For a moment, Sasuke thought she might try to hit him.

He stepped back to the window.

"Sakura…"

She grabbed his hand, forcing his fingers to open. In his palm she dropped something small and cold.

Sasuke stared at the ring in his hand.

He had looked for it before they left, realizing that Sakura's pouch had been emptied during the fight. He had thought his worst fears realized when he couldn't find it—especially after he had heard that his brother had appeared.

And now, here it was, back in his hand where it had started in the first place.

"Do you want to explain that to me," she asked, her whisper dangerously low.

He closed his hand around the piece of jewelry and didn't answer.

"You know, Sasuke-kun," she looked away from him, but her eyes remained dry. "If you had asked me…I would have taken it for you."

She was being truthful. Of that, Sasuke had no doubt. A familiar stabbing went through his chest but on the outside he remained impassive.

She turned away from the window, taking the first step towards her mat.

Almost as a pure reaction, Sasuke grabbed her upper arm. He was aware his grip was probably hurting her.

"Sakura…" He needed her to look at him.

She wouldn't.

With the same gesture he had used so many moths ago in an attempt to kill Naruto, he pulled Sakura into a loose hug.

It was awkward for Sasuke—having never been all that familiar with the concept of comfort—but it was more awkward because she did not return the embrace.

She did, however, bury her head in his shoulder, her arms straight at her side.

Neither one said a word.

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Kakashi lay on his side, his back to what had happened at the window. But his eyes were open and a frown was on his face.

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**Alrighty…coming SOON…Chapter 9: (no title…you'll just have to tune in)**

**I may take an extra day, I've got quite a bit going on this week, but I promise I'll update as soon as super-humanly possible.**


	9. Chapter 9

I honestly do not own Naruto. Honestly.

**Chapter 9: Actions speak Louder than Words**

"Tsunade's ninjas are becoming more of a problem then I had anticipated." The Akatsuki leader flipped Deidara's ring over in his hand. "Perhaps we should focus our efforts once again on Konoha. Unfortunately the Kyuubi holder's abilities have grown substantially. And there is the matter of the Uchiha boy."

He fixed his gaze on an expressionless Itachi.

"It is time to take care of those things that should have been finished long ago."

The gathered Akatsuki nodded.

"We need the nine-tails as well as the last remaining ring to awaken the statue. And without the statue… we cannot achieve world domination."

Only Tobi was foolish enough to interrupt. "But the other demons…we've yet to track some of them down as well. Why go after the fox before the others?"

"We need to obtain the fox's container before he acrues any more power. And since both he and the ring are probably in Leaf village… we may as well kill two birds with one stone."

"But we don't know for sure that the ring is there…" The masked Akatsuki said.

"It's there." Itachi said quietly. "Why else would we have encountered the shinobi in Orochimaru's lair?"

"They said they were only there because of us."

"Tobi, you need to learn to read people better. Perhaps you misconstrued what my younger brother told you and Deidara."

"_There is nothing of value hidden in this place"…_

"Damnit!" Tobi clenched his fist.

"We'll jump a head in our plan," the leader continued, "and eliminate Konoha first. But don't be fooled. Two sannin yet live and fight for that place. Not to mention the skilled ninja's assigned to hunt us."

He turned his face to the enormous statue. Soon all the pieces of the puzzle would come together.

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Itachi sat within the seclusion of his own quarters.

_Little brother, I may have to kill you yet. But first, you may have to watch your friends die._

It had been years since the oldest Uchiha had joined Akatsuki. But he remembered the day like it was yesterday.

They had asked for a demonstration of his loyalty—and that had played into Itachi's hand perfectly.

Entrance into Akatsuki had only been a cover for the slaughter of his clan. It was something he knew he had to do all along—ever since he found out the truth about the descendants of Uchiha Madara.

He had to end the cursed bloodline, the gaining of all his power had been pure icing on the cake.

But he had left someone else alive.

Sasuke—who he hoped one day would have the power to face him—and kill him. Then the line would end with Sasuke and Itachi would finally be free of the life he had lived.

But now he was worried.

He had not anticipated Sasuke's rescue from Orochimaru. Even if his brother had died, it would have been better than the slow redemption he was finding with his old friends. The young Uchiha was starting to care again.

And no matter how far in the future… if it was even in the future… Itachi could not let Sasuke revive the clan.

_Perhaps if I kill those he cares the most about, he will be resigned to die himself…or at the very least he will not let anyone become close to him again!_

Itachi's eyes narrowed in thought.

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"Kakashi, what is the purpose behind this meeting?" Tsunade leaned back in her chair, arms folded in front of her chest. She glanced back and forth between the two impassive faces in front of her.

"I think you need to ask Sasuke that." The copy nin's lazy gaze remained forward.

"Sasuke?" The Hokage raised her eyebrow.

Sasuke fixed Tsunade with uncaring eyes and remained silent.

"Alright," she sighed. "Out with it. I've got enough trouble going on without having to settle things whenever an argument pops up within team 7!"

"It's not an argument, Hokage-sama. It's a question of loyalty."

Tsunade stared hard at the former ANBU. "Out with it." She repeated.

"Orochimaru's ring…"

"Is none of your business." Sasuke interrupted.

"None of my business!?!" The silver-haired ninja grabbed a hold of the Uchiha's throat, pushing him up against the wall. "When you deliberately endanger a teammate and put an entire mission at risk—I'd say that's my business!"

Sasuke's face remained stoic and he made no move to defend himself.

"That's enough!" Tsunade's fist slammed down on her desk sending tremors rippling through the palace. "Kakashi!"

He released Sasuke.

"He put it in Sakura's kunai pouch. And unwittingly almost into Akatsuki hands."

"First," she frowned, "you should have more faith in Sakura than that—"

"—and second…I already know about what happened."

"Y-you know?"

She nodded and held up the piece of jewelry for him to see. "Sasuke brought me the ring early the next morning after you returned."

"Your judgment is off, Kakashi." Sasuke's voice was cool. "I seem to remember that happening to you every so often."

Kakashi did not reply.

"I think there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed here." Tsunade shook her head. "Team 7 is the strongest team I've got. Don't make me split everyone up because you guys can't learn to get along."

"Now get out of here, both of you." She waved them away. "I've got a ton of paperwork to do."

They bowed politely and exited the central office.

Out in the hallway, Kakashi paused, trying to think of the proper apology. "Sasuke…"

"Forget it," the young man faced him. "You feel betrayed after all the time you spent training me. It bothers you that you favored me and I walked away." He shrugged. "It is no more or less than I would expect if the situations were reversed."

"It's just… Sakura of all people…" The copy nin rubbed his head. "Why…"

"Kakashi—I do not feel the need to explain this to you…but because you will not leave it alone… I could think of no where else that such a powerful token would be safe. You cannot argue that Sakura is as far away from evil as someone can get."

"You could have given it to Tsunade before we left."

The Uchiha shrugged. "Again, I had my reasons. I trust this is the last we have to speak of it."

Kakashi stared, dumbfounded as he watched Sasuke walk away. _He has changed… still as arrogant as ever…but he's certainly changed. _

He stood there a while longer, wondering if he was the only one who had seen something wrong with Sasuke's actions.

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Sakura and Naruto sat in companionable silence while they ate.

Normally, Naruto would have killed that silence with tons and tons of garble, but today he had a lot on his mind.

Sakura, too, was deep in thought and hadn't even noticed the unnatural quiet.

_Why would Sasuke plant that ring on Sakura? _Naruto was puzzled. The only answers he came up with made him furious and that only made him more quiet. _That bastard…no.. no.. Sasuke would never hurt Sakura…but he did try to kill us once…but he's changed now!_

The thoughts swirled endlessly through his head.

_Damnit! Just when I thought things were back to normal! _He stood abruptly. "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan. I have to go talk to Sasuke."

"Naruto…" she gave him a worried look. "Please don't. Let's just move on, okay?"

"No, no, I need to find out what the hell is going on! I hate being in the dark!" He gulped down the last of his ramen. "I'll see you later, Sakura-chan."

"Naruto," the voice from behind him surprised the Kyuubi-boy.

"Sasuke! I was just coming to talk to you." Naruto's eyes narrowed.

"I know. I came to talk to you too—both of you."

Sakura stared at her food, chewing methodically. She had not spoken to Sasuke since their mission.

The Uchiha took a seat, Naruto plopping down on the stool where he had previously been sitting.

"I did not mean to put either of you in harm's way." Sasuke began. "I knew Akatsuki could not be allowed to gain possession of Orochimaru's ring." He looked over at Sakura. "I put it where I thought it would be safest."

"With Sakura!" Naruto almost hit the ceiling.

The pink-haired shinobi glared at him, waving her fist menacingly. "What's wrong with me!?! Don't you think I could take care of it!?!"

"Sakura-chan…" the blond looked sheepishly at her. "I was just surprised that's all…"

Sakura looked away from them, gripping her chopsticks to the point of splintering them.

Sasuke continued. "I thought I should explain to you two at the very least. But I'm not here to ask for forgiveness."

"Well, hey," Naruto grinned. "We're all friends here. Sasuke, after all we've been through… this is a minor thing. It's already forgotten about." He gave him a thumbs-up.

But they both looked, wide-eyed, as Sakura shoved her bowl across the counter and stood. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." She didn't look at either of them. "Tsunade wanted to show me a new technique today."

"S-sakura-chan?" Naruto didn't get to finish. She was already out of the restaurant.

Sasuke didn't watch her go. He simply stared at the counter as Naruto downed another bowl of ramen.

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Five cloaked figures scanned the boundary of Konoha village. They had been here before—one of them had even lived here.

They had a few days, probably no more than three, before their masked chakras were sensed by someone.

But three days would be enough to tell them what they needed to know.

And at the end of that time, they would begin the gradual destruction of the Hidden Leaf.

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**Coming ASAP: Chapter 10: The war begins**

Well, I've yet to take that day off I keep mentioning, but FYI it is coming. Beware!


	10. Chapter 10

I (as in me) do Not (as in not at all) own (as in possess) Naruto…

**Chapter 10: The War begins**

"Sakura," Sai jumped out of the way. "You're not pretending to be nice today. I think you might actually be trying to hurt me."

"Trying!?! I'm beyond trying!" She increased the chakra flow to her feet, speeding her attack.

"Yo!" Kakashi appeared at the edge of the clearing. "Take it easy you two. Save some of that for the Akatsuki."

Sai stopped, thinking that their sparring match was over. Sakura, however, saw his pause as her opening and dealt him a fury-infused punch.

Sai flew across the clearing, stopping himself just short of the base of a tree.

"Sakura!" Kakashi grabbed her wrist. "What's gotten into you?"

She pulled her arm from his grip. Kakashi had never seen her so angry.

"Did Sai say something to you?"

Instantly, her expression softened. "No… I…Sai!" She ran over to him. "I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

The former ROOT member smiled. "I haven't even called you anything mean today. Maybe I should have insulted you first thing in the morning. You seem nicer when you think you're ugly."

Kakashi shook his head. Sai still hadn't gotten the hang of making friends. But he also knew that the young man could have easily dodged Sakura's last punch. The copy nin had a sneaking suspicion that Sai was just letting his pink-haired teammate blow off some steam. The former sensei wondered just what it was that had gotten her so fired up.

"Well, it's still kind of early for you guys to be training already, don't you think?"

"We can't all be like Naruto and Sasuke-kun." Sakura said a bitter edge to her voice. "Some of us actually have to work at being a shinobi."

"Sakura, no amount of wor…"

Kakashi wisely stopped Sai in mid-sentence. "You're an important member of the team, Sakura. Without you who would keep these knuckle-heads healthy and in line?"

"Hnn." She scowled, eyes downcast. "Yeah, important enough that Sasuke didn't trust me to tell me about the ring—the ring I unknowingly was supposed to protect. Important enough that not even Naruto can understand why in the world Sasuke would pick me. Even after all I've done…after all I've accomplished…still not one of you has any faith in me."

Kakashi was dumbfounded. And he realized too late, as Sakura walked out of view—that his shocked silence had been taken as him agreeing.

"Are women always so violent when they're mad?" Sai rubbed his bruised shoulder.

Kakashi sighed. "Only when they've good reason to be."

"I must admit, I never realized that emotions could be such a driving force. After being so long without them it is a hard thing for me to understand."

"Sai," Kakashi chuckled. "You've got a long way to go before you're going to be able to understand people…let alone women. But trust me when I say… we've treated Sakura badly."

"Hn," the darker-haired companion continued to rub his injuries. "Speak for yourself. Maybe she should have hit _you_ then."

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"Sasuke, Naruto…a word." Copy ninja Kakashi motioned them over. "I bumped into Sakura this morning." He raised his eyebrow. "You two noticed anything wrong with her lately?"

"No, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto looked concerned. "What's wrong with Sakura-chan?"

Kakashi ignored him. "And you, Sasuke? Have you noticed anything strange lately?"

The Uchiha shrugged. "I have not spoken to Sakura."

"And you don't find that the least bit odd?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, that is strange. Normally Sakura-chan is around to cheer us on. I haven't really seen much of her since we got back."

"You didn't say anything… anything that would make her upset?" The silver-haired ninja gave Naruto an accusing glare. "Anything at all?"

"Well…" the blond said, "She was kinda angry the other night at the ramen hut."

"Uh huh." Kakashi nodded. "I thought you might have had something to do with it."

"Hey! That's not fair! I was just surprised, that's all. But I totally agree that Sakura was the right person to hang on to that ring."

"Did you tell her that? Or did you just tell her you were surprised it was her?"

"Oh…well…I…"

Kakashi sighed. "I suggest you think of a way to apologize to Sakura before she does something foolish. Like dislocate Sai's other shoulder."

"She did what!?!"

He nodded. "If you care about Sakura, Naruto," he looked at Sasuke as well, "you'll think of a way to make it up to her."

"Right!" Naruto said. "Come on Sasuke…"

"No, you go on, Naruto. There's something I want to talk to Sasuke about." Kakashi smiled. "Maybe Ino will give you a discount on some flowers."

"Good idea!" Naruto ran off down the street.

Sasuke looked defiantly at his former sensei. "About to tell me to go apologize also?"

Kakashi shook his head. "I advise Naruto because he truly wants to do what's right. He simply does not know how to go about it sometimes. You, on the other hand, know what to do, you just don't do it."

"I have already explained myself to Sakura."

"Clearly that wasn't enough."

"There's nothing more I can do."

"Listen to me, Sasuke. A long time ago, I lost the two people I cared for the most. And I lost them before they ever knew what they meant to me. You've already walked too far down the same path I took. Don't let it go that far."

The Uchiha was silent.

"You are no longer my student. And I doubt that you ever really saw me as much of a teacher. I can only talk to you now…as your friend and comrade."

Sasuke's eyes were distant. He turned away. "I will see you tomorrow, Kakashi."

The silver-haired shinobi was left standing alone in the middle of the street.

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"Is it the ring or the boy we go after first?" Kisame watched through the cover of the trees.

"The ring." Itachi watched the Hokage's palace with muted interest. "Once we have the ring, we can always come back for the kyuubi. He is much easier to track. And we can't risk Tsunade trying to destroy it."

"Can she do that?"

"I've heard her strength can crumble mountains. I'd not doubt that she would find a way."

"And your brother?"

"A minor side mission. I'll finish him off when we retrieve Naruto Uzumaki."

"Well," Kisame smiled, rows of shark teeth showing. "According to all the information we've gathered… Tsunade's office should be empty…just….about….now!"

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Sakura opened the door quietly. She sighed.

_Paperwork. There's always so much paperwork._ She wished she hadn't volunteered to help out. Shaking her head, she sat down amidst the piles in Tsunade's office. At least she'd have some time to herself.

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_Now…where would Tsunade keep that ring…_

Itachi looked around the cluttered office, eyeing the Hokage's desk. _She might just be foolish enough…_

He walked towards the large wooden piece of furniture. Leaning down to examine the drawers, he stopped suddenly. _That chakra…_

Spinning around, Itachi barely dodged Sakura's power-filled punch.

He grabbed her other arm and threw her, launching her onto the desk—shattering the table as if it were nothing.

_Interesting. Again, she was not affected by the genjutsu I cast to gain entrance into here.._ He stood calmly, watching as she pulled herself out of the debris.

"I warned you once, shinobi. You cannot defeat me."

"What are you doing in Tsunade's office?"

Faster than thought he was next to her. A well aimed hit sent her upwards followed swiftly by a forceful kick.

Sakura hit the wall, feeling it crack behind her.

"If you have seen a ring in here, I suggest you tell me where. It will be less painful for you that way."

Sakura said nothing, trying her best to heal herself in secret.

"Heal yourself, if you think it will help. I will simply make you suffer longer."

She pulled herself up, using the wall as a brace. "I won't let you have it."

"Ah, so you do know where it is." He smirked, stepping towards her.

_Don't look in his eyes! He's trying to make you!_ She stared hard at his shoulders. Gai-sensei always said all movement could be seen in the shoulders first.

His next kick sent Sakura through the wall and out into the hallway.

She could see the subdued forms of the palace guards around her. Whatever illusion they were in, it caused them to shift violently on the floor.

_Damnit!_ She kneaded her stomach. _Something's ruptured._

Grabbing her by her ankle, Itachi dragged her back into the office. "Really, I had hoped you would tell me something valuable. I'm losing patience."

"I'll die before I let you take that ring with you," she whispered softly. "You'll have to kill me."

"That is already in the plans." He rummaged through the remainder of the desk. "You're foolish to think you can take me on alone. Seeing through my genjutsu is a miniscule annoyance. Even without it, you are no match for me."

"That may be…" Sakura said, dragging herself towards the door. "But the rest of Konoha's ninjas won't let you walk out of here."

Tossing away her cover of being unable to walk, Sakura bolted for the door, flooding all her chakra into her feet. She flew down the hallway and down the stairs.

_Come on! Just a little further!_ The doors to exit the palace were in sight.

Just before she reached them, Sakura knelt down to one of the tossing guards. "Release!"

He looked up at her, dazed.

"Go!" She whispered frantically. "Hurry! The ninja academy! Akatsuki is here! Raise the alarm!"

The guard's eyes went wide as her words sunk in.

"Go!" She shoved him towards the door.

The guard stumbled out into the daylight.

Sakura stood, trying her best to make her way painfully to the still swinging doors. She had exhausted herself.

She was stopped short by Itachi.

"Now, what was the reason for that? What a pathetic attempt at escape. Surely you didn't think I'd let you leave here alive so you could go rally your comrades?"

Sakura smiled triumphantly. "No," she rasped, breathing hard. "But he will."

Itachi followed the line of her finger. He looked through the glass doors to see the form of the swiftly fleeing guard disappear.

With a growl of rage, he back handed her, sending her sprawling back onto the floor.

Grabbing her by the neck he hauled her up, holding her in front of him. "Since you've cut short my time, I'm going to have to extract the whereabouts of the ring from you using less friendly techniques." He dragged her back up the stairs.

Back in Tsunade's office, he tossed her against the window overlooking Konoha.

Using his fingers, he pried open her eyelids. "You're going to learn this lesson the hard way." His sharingan blazed.

"No! There! Where the top drawer was!" Sakura fought as hard as she could to avoid his gaze.

"There now, that wasn't so hard was it?" He let her drop to the floor.

Sakura watched as he turned away from her, reaching through the slivers of wood until he found the drawer he was looking for.

She waited until he began to open it…

Then she lunged and hit him with everything she had left…

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"Akatsuki! Akatsuki!" Came the distressed cry. "Akatsuki in the Hokage's palace.

Tsunade rushed out of the classroom she had been visiting. Her fearful eyes met Kakashi's from across the balcony.

On the level below, she saw Sasuke and Naruto lean over the railing and watch the panicked shinobi scream out the alarm.

"Kakashi!" She rushed over to him. "I told Sakura to organize paperwork while I was gone…"

They looked at each other and back down at the gathering ninjas.

"Gather everyone!" Tsunade leapt over the railing. "Get everyone over there _now!_"

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto and Sasuke had followed him out the doors. "Sakura-chan will be mad if someone doesn't go get her for this!"

The copy nin let them catch up to him. He couldn't meet their eyes. "Sakura….is already there."

Naruto's face went pale then his eyes narrowed with rage. "Come on, Sasuke!" He growled.

But Sasuke was already too far ahead to hear him.

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Coming soon soon… Chapter 11: Someone dies (uh oh)


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's note**: Again, thank you for all the encouraging words. I do have to warn you, someone will be dying in this chapter.( But have more faith in me than to think I'd kill a main character!) I won't mention the name now because that would ruin the surprise, but don't say I didn't warn you.

**And this chapter contains some strong cursing—due to the fact that I wanted to keep Hidan in character.**

Also, since I can now see the ending of this story in my mind, I will be taking requests about a theme for my next story.

Please keep in mind that all my stories will be based as closely to the actual manga line as possible, so don't throw me anything too off-the-wall. I was thinking maybe a story to do with "what happened to Rin" or something about Sai, since we don't really know too much about those characters. Anyway, email me…and in the last chapter of this story, I'll post the winning idea.

Enjoy!

**Chapter 11: No Escape**

"Something's up." Tobi frowned. "Itachi must have been found out. There's a group of Konoha ninjas headed toward the palace!"

"Impossible! I saw Tsunade and her aide leave with my own eyes." Kisame peered out in the direction of the building.

Tobi was right—a small group was almost at the entrance. "Shit. Alright, Hidan, you and Kakuzu go distract them. I'll go see what's keeping Itachi."

"What about me?"

"Just shut up and keep your eyes open. If you leave this spot, Tobi, I'll dismember you myself."

The newest member of Akatsuki knew better than to argue.

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"Wait!" Tsunade held up her hand in warning. "Kurenai, what do you make of this genjutsu?"

The red-eyed shinobi studied the palace. On the outside, everything appeared normal. The illusion even had silhouettes of the guards standing where they should be. But she could see slight traces of shimmering throughout—almost as if the genjutsu was weakening in places.

"With your help, Tsunade-sama, we should be able to shatter the false impression. It seems to already be weakening."

Tsunade cast a worried look up to the large window she knew belonged to her office. _Sakura…_

She had a moment of doubt—wondering if she shouldn't have sent the majority of Konoha's shinobis out to protect the village. _Maybe the only battle is going to be here._

"Alright, let's do this. No one will be able to venture inside until it's dispelled." She began making the seals to allow Kurenai to utilize her chakra.

_Wait, something's…_ Tsunade flipped backwards pulling the sensei with her.

Kisame's sword crashed down where she had been standing.

"Hokage." The blue man grinned.

Two other figures appeared behind him, blocking entrance into the palace.

"You're out numbered here, Akatsuki." Tsunade motioned to the group behind her. "You're done for. We have you by pure numbers alone."

Hidan spit in distain. "It was easy enough to kill one of you before. I see no reason why it would be any harder to kill seven."

Kurenai's eyes went wide.

Naruto, standing a respective distance behind with the rest of the group, heard those words echo through his mind.

"_It was easy enough to kill one of you…_

_to kill one of you…_

_one of you…"_

His blue eyes narrowed and his hands went to the knives secured on his belt. "Old Lady Tsunade!" He raced to her side.

"Naruto! Get back! I will handle this!"

The trench knives glowed in his hands, the blades elongated by his wind chakra. The young man growled. "He's the one! He's the bastard that killed Asuma!"

A thunderous crash made everyone look to the palace.

"Well," Kisame said. "I'd love to stay and watch, but I've got something I've got to check on."

He vanished.

Kakashi, Sai, Shizune and Sasuke moved up alongside Naruto, Kurenai and Tsunade. The Hokage let a brief smile touch her lips. "We won't let you leave from this point on."

"That's just fine with us!" Kakuzu's arms whipped out, heading straight for the Sannin. All seven of the Konoha shinobi leapt out of the way.

Kakuzu's arms hit a building instead, crumbling the wall. Hidan grinned evilly. "Well, let's take care of these Konoha fucks quickly. I had other things to do today."

"Tsunade!" Kakashi was at her side. "You and Kurenai go and dispel the jutsu. The rest of us can take care of these guys."

"Wait," Sasuke stared up at the palace. "Is there another way in?"

Tsunade looked at him thoughtfully. She nodded and looked back to Kakashi.

The copy nin gave a curt nod of approval. "Go. Naruto, Shizune, Sai and I can handle it from here."

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Itachi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

He could not remember the last time someone had made him bleed. His red eyes narrowed. _Such an annoyance._ Tsunade's apprentice was testing his patience.

He looked at her bruised and battered form and knew she was hurt far worse internally than she was letting on. She may have healed herself as best as possible, but her chakra was almost gone. Soon she wouldn't even have her insane strength to rely on.

In a blink he closed the distance between them.

Sakura saw through the attack, visualizing his patterns as the Hokage had taught her to do.

"_Evasion is a medical ninja's first priority."_

She blocked the series of blows, flattening against the floor as she dodged a kick.

"Enough!" Itachi clenched his fists. He never—not ever—displayed emotion of any kind. But now he was angry.

He backed away from Sakura and went back to the ruined desk. Picking up the drawer, he broke it open.

The ring glittered temptingly.

"No!" Sakura growled, her eyes narrowing. _It's my job to protect that! No one thought I could do it! But it's MY job._

She hurtled her broken body at him.

_Impressive_, Itachi thought. He grabbed her right arm, twisting brutally. But the move cost him and Sakura landed the punch she had been aiming for.

Itachi heard something in his left shoulder pop as she hit him. The blow had been less forceful than her others. No doubt it was the last of her chakra.

The ring went flying across the room.

Itachi looked at the ring and then down at Sakura's defiant expression. He still held her tightly, her arm bent at a grotesque angle.

"Before you die," he tried to trap her eyes. "I want you to know that you surprised me."

He lifted her up by her shirt. "And I can't have people around who do that." He made a fist with his opposite hand.

Sakura prepared herself for the hit. She would find the strength to move. She wouldn't die.

Itachi drew his arm back…

… and swung.

But the punch never landed.

Suddenly Sakura was dropped to the floor. She looked up to see Itachi's sleeve pinned to the wall by a kunai.

They both looked towards the doorway.

"Itachi." Sharingan met sharingan.

"Little brother," Itachi scowled. "You were next on my list. But I like it better this way." He ripped the kunai out of the wall, freeing his arm. "Now you can watch her die."

Sasuke moved across the room in a blur, pulling Sakura out of the way as Itachi stabbed the kunai down.

"Having a bit of trouble, Itachi?" A smoky figure appeared in the far corner of the room.

"I've encountered a minor set back." The oldest Uchiha narrowed his eyes. "Kisame…the ring."

The shark man walked across the office and picked up the trinket.

"No!" Sakura reached out. But Sasuke put his arm in front of her, holding her back.

"Sakura," his gaze was fixed on his brother. "Do not. You've done enough already."

"Even after all this time," Itachi was once again expressionless. "You still can't rid yourself of those holding you back."

Sasuke shook his head. "You're wrong Itachi. I was wrong."

The Akatsuki watched him solemnly. "You are still too weak."

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"ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHH!" Naruto flipped back from Hidan, the chakra blades swinging. "Die!"

"What's with this shit-head!" The almost immortal Akatsuki glanced over at Kakuzu. "He's making this a larger pain than it's worth!"

"Kakashi!" Tsunade called to the silver-haired shinobi. "The palace!"

The former sensei motioned to Sai. "Go with them."

The artistic ninja nodded, leaping away and down to stand next to the Hokage and genjutsu sensei.

The three raced into the palace.

"That was a mistake," Kakuzu sneered. He whipped an arm out towards Kakashi, but as the copy ninja prepared to defend himself, the Akatsuki redirected his attack.

"Guhhh!" Shizune fell to her knees, eyes wide with shock.

The medic looked down at Kakuzu's projectile hand submerged deep within her chest.

"Shizune!" Kakashi rushed over to her.

The Akatsuki retracted his arm, blood flowing out onto the ground. "I told you. A mistake."

Kakashi picked up Shizune, moving her to a safe distance from the fight. Kakuzu made no move to follow him.

"Shizune," the former ANBU member placed his hands over the gaping wound. "Focus. You must heal yourself."

Tsunade's aide smiled at him. "No…Kakashi…cannot heal…too….much damage."

A painful memory surged into the copy ninja's head. For a moment he saw Obito in Shizune's place. He saw the same look of calm—the same peaceful acceptance that his best friend had displayed.

Kakashi straightened.

"Do one thing for me…Kakashi…"

He nodded.

"Take care…of…Tsunade… she needs help…sometimes…"

He would have chuckled to himself if the situation had been different. "She would sooner beat me to a pulp, Shizune."

She smiled. "No…she fights…so she won't….feel…don't let her…"

Her eyes fixed on some far off point. "…don't let her…stop…"

"…caring…" A small trickle of blood made its way out of her mouth. Kakashi closed her eyes.

After a moment of respect, he turned his attention back to the watching Akatsuki.

Naruto was oblivious to what had happened. He ran at Hidan.

The Akatsuki leaned away as Naruto attacked, but the chakra-infused blades caught him in the chest. Two deep gashes appeared.

"Fuck! That hurts!" He glared at Naruto. "Are you always such an asshole?"

Naruto paused, his hands moving rhythmically as he made the signs. "Let's see how well you keep track of this!"

An ungodly number of blond clones appeared.

"Shit." Hidan glanced over to Kakuzu but the other Akatsuki was involved in a battle of his own.

"Attack!" The Naruto army swarmed.

As his clones attacked, Naruto dodged in and out of the fray, slicing at Hidan with the trench knives every chance he got. _Got to get his head._ Naruto applied more chakra to the blades, making their reach even longer. _Shikamaru said he needs to be decapitated and burned._

"Kid you're really pissing me off!" Hidan's expression was one of shock as the real Naruto came up behind him.

"This is for Kurenai." He made one slice with his left trench knife.

"And this is for Asuma." His right knife finished the job.

Hidan's head flopped onto the street.

"God Damnit! You fucking Kyuubi motherfucker!"

_Fire…I need fire…_ Naruto looked around.

"Need some help, kid?"

Jiraiya looked down from a nearby roof, a smile on his face.

"Pervy Sage! I thought you were still in the hospital!"

"Come on, kid. Think I'd miss out on a battle like this?" He slammed his fist onto the roof. Immediatley, the giant toad boss appeared.

"You guys again?" He puffed out smoke ring from his pipe. "Someone needs to teach you to fight your own battles."

"We just need a little help, that's all. No fighting off Manda today." Jiraiya pointed to the decapitated Hidan. "Just give him a dose of some of your oil."

The Toad boss nodded.

With a giant puff of his chest, he sent a stream of oil at the Akatsuki.

Naruto watched as Jiraiya added his fire jutsu to the mix.

"You fucking assholes!" Came Hidan's scream. "You fucki…" Then nothing but sizzling silence.

Kakuzu watched his partner go up in flames. "Damnit!" He glanced at the advancing Kakashi. "I'm out of here."

And he was gone in a flash of smoke.

"Thanks Jiraiya…"

But Naruto's smile faded as he saw the fallen body of Shizune.

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Sasuke watched his brother, his expression blank, but on the inside he was seething with rage.

Shouting could be heard coming from the lower level of the palace.

"My genjutsu has been dispelled." Itachi said calmly. He glanced at Kisame. "Ready?"

"But…" The blue man looked over at Sasuke and Sakura. "But what about them?"

"Another time. We've got what we came here for. I've had enough trouble today without having to deal with one of the sannin."

"Itachi!" Sasuke hissed, eyes glaring, chidori shooting in a current around him. "Fight me!"

The Uchiha gave him an appraising look. "We will have our time. But it is not today."

With a flash of their hands, the Akatsuki were gone.

"No!" Sasuke punched the wall, His chidori channeled into it, crumbling the room divider instantly.

Sakura put her hand on his shoulder. "Sasuke-kun."

He looked at her swollen face. Her eyes were tired and she was shaking. But she remained standing, her touch calming his fury.

"Sakura. You need medical attention."

"I'm fine, Sasuke-kun. I'm fine…" He caught her as she fell for the second time since he had returned to Konoha. "I'm…I'm just sorry I didn't get that ring from them. I tried. I just wasn't strong enough."

"Sakura, I—"

Tsunade burst into the office. "Sakura! Sasuke!"

"My God!" The Hokage looked around the room. "Sakura are you…?" Just by looking at her student, Tsunade knew she wasn't alright.

"They took it, Tsunade-sama…I'm sorry." Sakura grimaced.

"Huh? Took what?"

"The ring."

"You mean," she reached into her pocket, "this ring?"

Sakura's eyes went wide.

"Rest, Sakura. You can kill me when you get up." The Hokage smiled and took her apprentice from Sasuke's arms. "Sasuke—go see what's going on outside. I'm taking her to the hospital."

Sasuke made sure they left the building without any trouble before he pushed open the doors and stepped out into the light

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**Author's note:** Phew! That was a hard chapter to write. I always have a hard time with the intense action sequences… so I apologize if it seemed jumpy or too short. Oh and Originally I was going to kill Jiraiya, but I have plans for him yet. 

**Chapter 12 coming soon.: The Aftermath**


	12. Chapter 12

I do Not own Naruto…I'm just not that clever…

**Author's note:** The following dream sequence will be much better for those of you who are familiar with the Sasuke/Itachi history in the manga and anime. I based it on actual images from those.

**Chapter 12: Aftermath**

Sasuke's dream:

_His home. _

_Itachi sitting on the step. _

_Sasuke runs towards him. "Why? Why do you always treat me like a burden?"_

"…_Burden…?"_

_Blood. There's blood everywhere. _

_His brother stands over the bodies. No—he—Sasuke—stands over the bodies. _

_He looks over at the shocked image of himself. _

_But he's looking at Sakura. _

_Itachi sitting on the step._

_Sasuke runs towards him. His brother put his hand up. "Why do you always treat me as a burden?"_

"_I'm sorry, Sasuke." But its Sasuke speaking. Sakura standing behind him._

_Blood. More blood. _

_He runs into the room. A shadowy form stands over the bodies of his parents._

_The light from the window illuminates the face._

_She brushes the pink hair away from her eyes._

_Sasuke looks through her eyes. The bodies are not his parents._

_Their emerald eyes stare lifelessly up. _

_Pink hair spattered in blood._

"_Why do you always treat me like a burden?"_

_Itachi smiles. "Even if you must hate me. That's what being a big brother is all about."_

Sasuke sat up in bed. He brushed the sweat form his face, closing his eyes at the images still remaining in his head.

It had been a long time since he had had a nightmare. But Kabuto was no longer around to provide him with the drugs needed to suppress them.

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

Inwardly he still raged at the lost opportunity to avenge his family. But the day could have ended worse with more than just two casualties.

Sasuke turned to the window.

The sun was just starting to come up. It was almost time to get ready.

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Tsunade sat quietly on the hospital roof and watched the dawn preparations begin.

Dawn had been Shizune's favorite time of day.

It was only fitting that her ceremony would take place around that time.

A tear traveled down the Hokage's face.

_I'm sorry, Dan. I did the best I could for her. She died an honorable death._ But Tsunade's thoughts did not comfort her.

Shizune had been her last connection to the past. Dan's niece.

She felt like he had died all over again.

And what was worse—she felt like she had let him down.

_I couldn't save you…and I couldn't save her. How am I supposed to protect this village if I can't even save those closest to me?_

She stood, the black fabric of her robe swishing with the movement.

"How long have you been standing there?" She asked without turning around.

"Not long." Jiraiya leaned against one of the water tanks. "It's almost time."

The sannin nodded. "Does it ever get easier? Will we only see war and nothing else?"

"Tsunade…"

She heard him walk up behind her and stop.

It never gets easier. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. But Shizunes death is not for nothing. She saw the bigger picture. She knew that those of us who die today do it so that the next generation has a hope at peace.

"We have a long way to go."

"Yes," he nodded. "But remember your faith in the younger members of Konoha."

Tsunade smiled as the image of Naruto popped into her mind.

"Thank you, Jiraiya."

He put his arm over her shoulder. "Come, it is time."

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Sakura leaned on Naruto and Kakashi for support.

Her wounds had not been hard to heal—at least not on the outside.

The internal damage was a little more difficult, but Tsunade had said she would make a full recovery. Now, she just had slight pain while walking and was forced to hobble hunched over as she made her way to the funeral line.

"Easy, Sakura-chan." Naruto supported her elbow. "Stop trying to walk so fast."

"I'm alright Naruto." She smiled at him.

"Sakura, Naruto is right." Kakashi held her other elbow. "We know you're strong, but let us help just this once."

The three of them walked together to the memorial for Shizune. A picture of the smiling young woman sat atop her casket.

Sakura shakily wiped away her tears. "Let me stand alone for just a moment."

Naruto and Kakashi looked at each other. After a moment, they took a few steps away from her.

Sasuke, who stood in line behind them, watched as Sakura placed her flower on the coffin. He could not hear what she whispered, but he saw her lips moving.

She took an unsteady step back and Naruto and Kakashi were instantly at her side.

"No, it's okay." She gave them a weak smile through her tears. _"I don't want to be a burden."_

Sasuke felt his heart stop for a moment.

Someone nudged him from behind.

"Go, you idiot." Sai whispered, pointing.

Sasuke glared at him but stepped up to take his turn at the memorial.

Back within the crowd, he watched the seemingly endless line make its way by the casket as one by one the ninjas of Konoha paid their respects.

Last in line was Tsunade.

The silence was complete as the Hokage stood in front of the picture for long moments, her back to them.

Her entire body was quivering, but when she turned around, there were no tears on her face.

Her expression was grim. "Today, we honor a fallen comrade and friend. Shizune died doing her duty to Konoha."

Tsunade's fists clenched. "Everyday I ask you to risk your lives for the sake of this village. And all of you, without exception, do that willingly—"

"—I sense dark times coming to the Leaf. War is coming again. And now more than ever I will need your help!"

She punched the air. "But know that I will ask nothing of you that I will not do myself! If we must fight—then we will fight! I will NOT live in the shadow of Akatsuki!"

Every shinobi present stood a little straighter, pride written on their faces.

Tsunade hung her head. "We will honor those that have fallen by making the ninja dream a reality. We will live in peace, or we will not live at all!"

She walked back to her place next to Jiraiya.

For the rest of the ceremony, no one said a word.

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"_I don't want to be a burden."_

Sasuke sat in thought. He couldn't get those words out of his head. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the image of Sakura saying them earlier that day.

And he couldn't forget his dream.

He hated Itachi.

But he also hated himself. There was always a part of him that still wanted his brother to accept him. Just as he had wanted when he was a kid.

He had always felt like a burden to those he loved.

His father. His brother. Only his mother had ever tried to comfort him.

And he—most especially he—had always treated Sakura as a burden. Even if it was the furthest thing from the truth. And he knew, beyond a doubt, that he and Naruto and Kakashi had all contributed to Sakura's feelings of uselessness. She truly thought that was all that she was.

Everything she did was to prove to them that she could stand on her own.

Just as he had once done.

So…

Did she hate him? How couldn't she?

Would she grow to hate him as he now hated his brother? Were the reasons that closely related?

The reality of it shocked him. The fact that she didn't hate him at that very moment was unbelievable.

He had unwittingly done to her what had been done to him so long ago. The circumstances were completely different but the base emotions were the same.

He had almost become the thing he wanted to destroy.

But he didn't think anything could crush Sakura's spirit. That was why she didn't hate him. She didn't have that weakness like he did. She was able to forgive him so easily because she cared about him.

Even Naruto had forgiven him.

_That's what caring about people does. It allows you a freedom revenge will never provide._

But he had his friends back. He had the missing piece.

All he had to do now was kill his brother.

But he had something he needed to do first.

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"Damn," Sakura whispered to herself. Her sandal was unlaced. She would have to lean down to fix it. Taking a deep breath, she slowly bent forward, preparing for the pain.

"Uh-umm…Sakura-chan?"

A timid voice made the pink-haired girl look up. "Oh, Hinata. Hey."

"Let me help you." Sakura had no time to protest before the Hyuuga girl knelt in front of her and quickly laced up her shoes. "I didn't mean to sneak up like that. I wasn't trying to be rude."

Sakura smiled warmly. "Don't worry, I needed the help. Thank you."

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm glad you are okay." Her pale eyes looked kindly at Sakura. "I know Naruto-kun was terribly worried."

_Poor Hinata._

Sakura knew Naruto was clueless about the heiress's feelings for him.

"You know, Hinata," She gave her another smile. "Tsunade-sama talked about war. That means we're going to be in a lot of tough spots in the future."

The girl nodded.

Sakura's expression sobered. "And people we care about will be in danger. Don't you think…Naruto would like to know you're going to be worried about him?"

"O-oh…n-no, I couldn't. I mean," Hinata's face was bright red. "I could never tell him."

"But what if something happened? What if you _never_ get to tell him?"

The Hyuuga girl looked shyly at Sakura's kind expression. "Thank you, Sakura-chan. I…I will think about it!"

She turned to go and Sakura gave her a wave in thanks.

_Naruto should realize how lucky he is to have someone like Hinata. She'll think of nothing but him till the day she dies._

She continued on her way down the street, hoping to avoid running in to anyone else.

It had been embarrassing enough to know that she had risked her life for a phony ring. But as mortified as she was, she was grateful that it had not ended up in Akatsuki hands.

She wished she could have seen the look on Itachi's face when he learned the truth.

She smiled to herself. There was at least some satisfaction in that thought.

"Sakura,"

She jumped. "Sasuke-kun! What are you doing here?"

He looked down at her from where he stood on a nearby tree branch. "I was thinking."

"Oh. Well…I'll see you later I guess. Kakashi said something about another mission."

"I'm not opposed to you joining me." He sat down.

Sakura looked at the tree._ I don't know if I have enough chakra to climb that yet._ She clenched her jaw.

Sasuke watched as she approached the tree and placed her hand on the smooth bark. She looked uncertain for a moment before she placed a foot on the base.

He saw a small glow of chakra._ Too little. She won't be able to make it._

Sakura knew it too but she bit her lip and placed the other foot on the tree.

Kakashi had once said that it was the fighting spirit inside Naruto and Sakura that allowed them to overcome unbeatable odds. Both displayed the inability to give up.

And even now, as Sakura inched her way up the tree, she wasn't going to quit.

She had forgotten all about Sasuke and was focused on each movement of her muscles.

The Uchiha watched her slow progress. It reminded him of the day Kakashi had tried to teach them the tree climbing skill. Sakura had been able to do it instantly. No doubt she was frustrated now.

_Just a little farther…_ Sakura was sweating. _Just a little more chakra…_

Her foot slipped.

Her eyes went wide but Sasuke reached down and grabbed her hand. He pulled her up onto the branch.

"You're still too weak," He was looking away from her.

Her eyes narrowed. "I am _not—"_

"I was referring to your recovery, not your abilities, Sakura."

Her expression softened and she glanced at him sideways. "I don't have the energy to throttle both you _and_ Sai. I'll just have to save up for him"

"Hn." Sasuke almost smiled. "I am sure he needs it more than I do."

Sakura shrugged, "I'm not so sure." She chuckled at the look of bewilderment Sasuke gave her.

"Thank you—again…for saving me." She said quietly.

"There is no need to thank me. It is what friends do for one another. I haven't thanked you every time you've saved me."

"Right," Sakura frowned at him. "What's that been, maybe once? Twice?"

He didn't answer.

"Well, I should be going." She stood, looking down at the ground. _Nuts. How am I supposed to get down from here?_

"Sakura?"

"Sorry, I just was trying to think of a way to get down…"

"No. I have a question, Sakura."

She looked at him, her green eyes wary.

"Do you hate me?"

She was so shocked she didn't know what to say at first.

His brow was furrowed and his eyes seemed angry. "I asked if you hated me."

"Hate…_you_? No... no, I don't hate you… I can't believe you're even asking me that."

"I have only ever given you reasons to hate me."

"I don't hate you, Sasuke-kun. I don't think I could ever hate you." She whispered, nervous at the way the conversation was going.

"Even if I killed Naruto? Would you hate me then?" His eyes met hers.

Sakura stared at him. "I wouldn't let you kill Naruto. And if you did—I would hate myself more than anyone."

Sasuke looked down. "He cares about you, you know. He'd protect you with his life."

"And I would protect him with mine…"

Sasuke's look clouded over, but she continued.

"…just as I'd protect you and Kakashi and any one of my friends."

"And what if Itachi had killed you yesterday?" He stood, stepping closer to her.

"Then I would have known I wasn't strong enough to stand up to him. I would have given my life to keep that ring from him. If I had died—you would have known for sure that I would never have been strong enough—good enough."

She closed her eyes, shaking her head. "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"Stop." He was an arm's length from her. "You're never to say that. _Ever._"

Before she knew what was happening, Sasuke grabbed her around the waist. He picked her up and leapt down to the ground where he set her down gently.

"Thank you, Sakura." He walked away from her.

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The Akatsuki leader stared up at the enormous statue before him.

Some of the eyes were lit, some were not. They had five tailed beasts… more than half of what they needed.

He squeezed the false ring in the palm of his hand.

Tsunade had made a good replica. It had taken even him a moment to realize it was fake.

_Konoha will be the first to go_. He continued to stare at the statue.

An idea was forming.

_Five out of nine… _

Perhaps…

He smiled. He knew exactly what he was going to do next.

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**Coming sooooon **

**Chapter 13: Everyone's Battle**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Everyone's Battle**

"It's just going to be so weird." Sakura shook her head. "I mean first Yamato goes back to ANBU and now you're leaving us too?"

Sai smiled as the two walked companionably from Tsunade's office. "Hag-chan, a six man team is generally unheard of. It is too many people to move quickly and efficiently during a mission. Besides," his smile got wider, "your friend has already been trying to make me feel welcome in the group."

"Ino!" Sakura gave him a friendly—if not just a tad forceful—shove. "That's what you get for calling her 'pretty lady'."

He nodded in agreement. "She does seem quite fixated on that observation."

She chuckled. If anyone could jolt Sai into the world of emotions and feelings it would be Ino. She had a suspicion he was in for more than he had bargained for.

"I do want to thank you, though." He said as they stopped. "You were the first one here to accept me as your friend."

"Sai! I punched you so hard you flew backwards on our first mission…"

"But I understand, now, when it comes to people one cares about—what you can and cannot say." He pulled a scroll out of his pack. "And the next day you came to me in friendship—when you saw me drawing. You were genuinely interested in what I was doing."

He handed her the paper.

"It is not much, but it is the only thing I have ever given a title." He stepped away, turning to walk down the street opposite. "Thank you again…Sakura…I will see you soon!"

Sakura smiled. She watched him disappear before opening the gift.

A well detailed picture of Yamato, Naruto and herself looked back at her. Beneath the picture was written the word 'friends'.

She sighed, placing the gift gently in her own pack. Even Sai, who had only recently begun to develop his emotions knew the value of friends—and knew how to make them feel worthwhile.

_He would become a good man someday._ An evil look crossed her face. _No matter what Ino had to say about it!_

Sakura continued on her way, aware at how uneasy the village was.

In the months since the attack veryone seemed much more on edge. Tsunade had bumped up boarder partrols and scouting trips, eliminating most missions for the time being.

The medic knew that her teacher was expecting Akatsuki to come back. It was not like them to give up so easily, especially after walking away with nothing but a casualty.

But it had been months and no sign of them.

And still no sign of Jiraiya.

The toad sannin had left the village shortly after Shizune's funeral, in order to learn more about Akatsuki plans. Tsunade had not asked him to go, but he had felt the need and was presumably heading back to where he had learned information on the society before.

Tsunade had expected him to return days ago.

Sakura quickened her pace. She had spent more time than normal with the Hokage. At first she had felt the need to keep her company, but had found herself immersed in paperwork and plans to protect the village. Oddly enough, Kakashi had taken the role of confidant—even going so far as to stop in just to check on them from time to time.

To Sakura, it seemed that he was awkward in his visits. And when she asked him about it he had sighed, replying that it was much easier to motivate his ninja students with words than it was to try and use them to comfort a superior.

But he remained committed to his visits, nonetheless.

"Oh man!" Sakura could hear Naruto as she approached the Ramen Hut. "Where's my wallet?"

"You'd better be joking…" The unseen form of Sasuke growled.

Sakura almost turned and walked back the way she had come. No doubt Naruto had eight bowls piled up—and she sure wasn't going to get stuck paying.

"Hey Sakura-chan!"

Damn. They had seen her.

She smiled and waved.

But as she got closer…

"H-here, Naruto-kun. I will pay for you."

Sakura stood, shocked for a moment as Hinata reached out to hand the cook her money.

She raced over, ripping the money out of Hinatas hand and giving it back to her. The Hyuuga girl looked at her in surprise.

Sakura grabbed a hold of Naruto's jacket—her face flushed with anger. "Naruto! What the hell do you think you're doing!?!" She dropped him to the floor. "You're going to let Hinata pay!?!"

"Heeeeyyy…" the blond rubbed his back, mumbling something about monstrous strength. "We ran into Hinata on the way here. She said she'd come along with us!"

That doesnt mean you eat all you want and have her foot the bill! She reached into her own pocket, slamming money on the table. There! And now you owe me big time!

"Sakura-chan," Hinata's soft voice calmed her friend. "I-I really don't mind. Naruto and Sasuke were good enough to let me come with them."

Sakura continued to glare at Naruto. "It's alright, Hinata. I came knowing _I'd_ have to pay. It's on me, really."

"You handed that well, Naruto." Sasuke said calmly.

The kyuubi boy shook his head. "I think I've lost my appetite anyway."

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The doors to the Hokage's office had been locked for a while now.

Tsunade looked at Jiraiya, her eyes troubled. "Are you certain? There's no mistake?" She asked.

He shook his head. "I wish there was. I'd give them a few months, no more before they are ready to attack."

The knowledge she had learned within the last hour deeply worried the Hokage. While they had been well aware of Akatsuki's hunt for the demons, no one had been fully aware of just what they were going to do with them.

Now, it seemed as if the Akatsuki were openly going about their business—letting her know that they would be coming and soon.

_A walking, moving statue with the abilities of the demons within_. It would be unstoppable.

"And who had enlisted their aid? The grass country?"

He nodded. "For next to nothing they have hired it out. A demonstration of strength, no doubt. Even as we speak the lesser countries look to utilize the Akatsuki to eliminate each other."

"And once they are gone…" Tsunade shook her head. "Akatsuki will come after the five great countries."

He put his hands behind his head, leaning back. "There is one minor catch…"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

"They have awakened the statue with only five of the nine demons. Without that ring, they can't seal or awaken anything past the seventh." He looked thoughtful. "One of the uncaptured creatures, we know, is in Naruto. That leaves three others…three other powerful demons yet to be sealed by Akatsuki."

"Do we have any idea where these other creatures are?"

The white-haired sannin shrugged. "Could be bound up in containers of their own…people who don't even know what's inside of them. Could be they're in their natural state. The nine tailed fox was still intelligent and evil enough to attack Konoha on his own—before he had a host. It's not a stretch to think the other demons are still out there."

"But wouldn't we have heard of them? Wouldn't tales of the creature's destruction have reached us by now?"

"Well," Jiraiya said. "Maybe they live in uninhabited places. There are certainly many of those to be considered."

Tsunade rubbed her eyes. "Even so…what would we be able to do if we knew of their whereabouts? I've never heard of a well-mannered demon. If they don't have a host…there would be no way to control them."

Well, we do know that the nine tails is as concerned with his own existence as any other creature. Jiraiya leaned forward. He has expressed to Naruto that it is not in his interest for the young man to die simply because that would mean the demon would die as well.

"You're not suggesting…" Tsunade's eyes were wide with shock.

"I am," he nodded. "Perhaps if the demons can be convinced of their own endangerment at the hands of Akatsuki… perhaps they would ally themselves with us for a short time. It is not unheard of—in the Great Shinobi wars, the demons were controlled by certain countries without a host. And if they are in hosts and not alive on their own… even better! Then we won't have to worry about the after effects."

Tsunade shook her head. "It would be a suicide mission. I couldn't send a team out there to deal with a demon. What if they are refused?" She sat back. "A suicide mission."

But Jiraiya was still thoughtful. "Well…if they refuse… I guess the question we need to ask ourselves is..."

"… is there anyone is Konoha who has the capability to seal a demon?"

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After parting company with Hinata and Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke made their way back through town.

"He has no clue, does he?"

"Eh? Naruto?" Sakura smirked. "You could be talking about any number of things."

"Hinata. That was bold for her. I was expecting her to faint before we ever reached the Ramen Hut."

The pink-haried young woman smiled. "I have more faith in Hinata than that. It's good for her."

"Yes," Sasuke said suspiciously. "But quite unlike her. I'd almost guess that someone else put the idea in her head."

"I don't know what you're implying. I only told her to be a little braver, that's all. I think it's a step in the right direction."

"Hn" The Uchiha frowned. "It's unwise with war coming to form new attachments."

Sakura kept walking, her face unreadable. After a moment, she shrugged. "Naruto is able to make anyone his friend and he is able to accept people that others push away. From what I've heard…even Hinata's own family does not acknowledge her existence. If following Naruto around makes her happy—then I don't see the harm in it."

"And if one of them dies in the near future?"

Sakura stopped and turned to face him, her eyes narrowed. "Why do you always wonder 'what if someone dies'? What if they don't die—what if they both live? Isn't what would happen then reason enough to become friends?"

Sasuke studied her frustrated expression with mild amusement. He kept his face expressionless. "You're really quite…"

_Annoying?_ Sakura waited to hear the word.

"…interesting."

She shook her head and started walking again.

A shadowy figure leapt down from a nearby roof.

"Yo." Kakashi looked from one to the other. "Important stuff—head to Tsunade's. I'll go round up Naruto."

Sakura and Sasuke nodded and picked up a jog towards the palace.

Kakashi watched them for a moment. He was sure he had been the only one who noticed. Not even Sasuke was aware of it.

To a seasoned ninja like Kakashi, Sasuke's protective step in front of Sakura as he leapt down, had not gone unnoticed.

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"Alright," The Hokage shook her head. "I can't believe I'm asking this myself… so don't give me a hard time about it."

She frowned at Jiraiya—the sannin standing in the corner with a smile on his face. "I have a new mission for team seven—and only for you. This is a serious matter. No one else is to know of this. As far as anyone else is concerned, you are heading out on an extended scouting trip."

She was having trouble thinking of a less shocking way to explain the situation.

"Let me start with a little history here. I know you are all familiar with the Great Shinobi wars—and how many of the countries involved used the tailed beasts to help fight for them."

Naruto's eyes went wide.

Tsunade ignored him. "I also know you are all aware that one by one the demons are being collected by Akatsuki. But it far exceeds anything we thought was going on. Akatsuki are not destroying the demons. They have sealed them within a great statue—and are planning on using its collective power to take over, presumably, the world."

"What?!?" Naruto slammed his hands on the desk. "That's why they've been after all of us?"

She nodded. "Orochimaru's ring is the eighth ring in a series of nine—without his ring, they cannot seal or awaken any demons beyond the seven-tails. And since they had such trouble getting it," She smiled at Sakura, "they have awakened the statue early…having five of the nine demons they were after."

Tsunade-sama, Kakashis arms were crossed, his book open in one hand. What are you getting at?

"Just this—you're going to track down the other demons…and try to persuade them to oppose Akatsuki."

The silence was deafening.

After a few long moments, Sakura spoke up. "Which demons are we after? And how will we find them?"

Jiraiya looked at her. "Well, it seems the Akatsuki have gone in order from one tail up to five. We're assuming that the ones you are after are the six, seven, and eight tailed demons."

"The six-tail, a Raiju—a thunder animal, will most likely be in the Land of Thunder, since that was the last country he fought for and his place of origin." The Hokage said. "The seven-tail is Kaku—a demon of rock and clay, most likely in the Land of Earth. The last is Hachimata. She is the most dangerous—the eight tailed dragon. She will be the hardest to find, but her last known residence was somewhere in the Land of Waterfalls."

"And if these creatures decide they'd rather kill us?" Sasuke looked at the sannin.

"There is always that possibility. Since they were used by shinobi for war… they are not very keen on humans. But that is why no other team can go." Tsunade smiled at Naruto.

"Me? I mean…the demon fox?" His blue eyes were skeptical. "But he's hardly on our side. I don't think he'd want to convince anyone."

"Not the fox, Naruto. You."

Jiraiya smiled, walking over and ruffling the young man's hair. _He's no longer a child. None of them are_.

The Toad Sage sighed. "You have a way of winning people to your cause and making friends in the unlikeliest of ways. We are counting on _you_ and not the fox to convince these demons. The fox will simply help them to relate to you and perhaps prevent them from killing you straight out."

"Sounds like a suicide mission." Kakashi's eye stared lazily at them.

Tsunade's eyes took on a glossy sheen. She looked at her desk. "It is true. The likelihood of you returning is slim. But you are everyone's only chance. There is no other way to stand up to the power of Akatsuki."

That was all Naruto needed to hear. His face lit up with a smile. "Don't worry, Granny Tsunade! I won't die until I become Hokage!" _I will protect everyone._

"So does team seven accept?"

They all nodded.

Good. I will be sending Jiraiya with you. He has more knowledge of the tailed beasts than anyone. I suggest you spend tonight planning your trip and leave as soon as you are ready.

And then Tsunade did something she had never done before.

She stood and walked over to each of them.

One by one she embraced them, tears flowing silently down her face.

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**Coming soon…**

**Chapter 14: The Land of Thunder**


	14. The REAL chapter 14

**Author's note**: A thank you to all of you who stuck with me through that HORRIBLE previous chapter 14 that I posted. I have destroyed it, as was fitting. Here is the NEW chapter 14—and one that is more worthy of my dear readers.

I hope you like it better. I do.

**The real chapter 14: Into Thunder Country**

Sasuke watched as Naruto and Sakura walked together, laughing and joking, a short distance ahead of him.

_They're so comfortable together._

His teammates had changed much over the three years he had been gone—he was still finding out new things about them.

And new things about himself.

"Deep in thought, I see." Jiraiya sidled up next to him. "Anything you want to share?"

"Hn. Hardly." The Uchiha shot him an annoyed glare.

"Eh, just thought I'd make some friendly conversation. But I see that's not your strong point."

Sasuke ignored him, continuing to watch as Sakura threatened bodily harm to Naruto for something the kyuubi boy had said.

Jiraiya followed his gaze. Oh, I see. Your attention is elsewhere. He smiled knowingly. Have you ever considered reading one of my books

Sasuke scowled. "Are you done?"

The Toad Sage laughed. "Maybe you'd be the one walking with your attractive teammate instead of Naruto—If you weren't such an asshole."

Sasuke's jaw clenched.

He turned to reply…

But Jiraiya was already well on his way upfront to where Kakashi was walking.

The Uchiha quickened his pace.

"Sasuke-kun." Sakura smiled warmly as he caught up to them. "We were just about to slow down to keep you company."

"Yeah, you may be a great shinobi, but you sure walk slowly." Naruto grumbled.

"Naruto! Sasuke-kun walks just fine."

He looked at Sakura. Her expression was one of warmth and friendship. _And something else?_ Sasuke couldn't tell. She was far from the love-sick child she had been years ago. That she cared for him, he had no doubt. But she had yet to show any feelings toward him stronger than friendship.

"Um, Sasuke?" Naruto's voice interrupted his thoughts. He realized he had been staring blankly.

"We're getting left behind." The Uchiha motioned to the small figures of Kakashi and Jiraiya.

"Right!" Sakura grabbed them both by the hand, pulling them forward. "Come on you two."

A vague memory pushed its way to the surface of Sasuke's mind.

Application day for the chuunin exam. Sakura had pulled them along similarly after they realized they were in the wrong place.

Neither young man had pulled out of her grasp then. And neither did now.

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"Alright," Jiraiya poked at the meager camp fire. "What's the plan, Kakashi?"

The copy nin shrugged, not taking his eye off the pages of his book. "Maybe you should tell us what we're up against. Then I'll tell you my plan."

"Sounds fair." The white-haired man nodded. "The Raiju—the six tailed demon. Not a friendly character by any means." He looked thoughtfully around at them. "A creature of fire and lightening, the Raiju resembles a six-tailed monkey."

"A monkey!" Naruto crinkled his nose. "I hate monkeys."

"Good." The Toad Sage frowned at him. "I suspect he'll feel the same way about you. But…if I might continue…the Raiju is the first of the smarter demons—"

"—most of these creatures lack the intelligence to think in an organized fashion. They operate strictly on emotions. Killing when they feel like it. Eating when they feel like it. They have no complex thought process. This is demonstrated by the fact that Akatsuki obtained the 'uncontained' three-tail without much trouble—"

"—However, this is not true of the higher tailed-beasts. Not only are they intelligent, they are extremely powerful and ill tempered. Naruto can vouch for that."

Across the fire, the blond nodded.

"This is why the majority were sealed within a human. Their powers were still accessible, but their malicious will was suppressed. It is unfortunate…but each demon has the power to take control of the body that holds it—if the human container lets down their guard—"

"—we saw this with Gaara and we have seen this at times with Naruto."

"So this demon is still inside of a human then, right?" Sakura asked. "Unless it's gained control over them?"

Jiraiya nodded. "I spent many hours going over all the notes from the First to the Fourth Hokage in this matter. At the beginning of the Shinobi wars, every demon, with the exception of the eight-tails and the nine-tails, was sealed within a host. The sealing of the nine-tails happened later on, when it attempted to destroy Konoha."

"That still doesn't tell us how to find it." Sasuke leaned back. "We know little about the Thunder Country as it is."

"You're right. But I did find the name of the village where the Raiju was seen last. It will take some discreet asking, but maybe once we find it, we'll get some clues as to where we go next."

Kakashi closed his book and stretched out on the ground, arms behind his head. Well then, that sounds like a good plan to me.

"How will we know him if we see him?" Naruto began to lay out his own bedding roll. "If he's not in demon form, I mean."

It was Sakura who answered. "We'll have to study the way he looks. That's how we'll be able to tell."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Look at Naruto," Sakura pointed. "The faint whisker marks on his face. And Gaara…he had the black around his eyes like the raccoon demon that was inside him. From what I hear, the two-tailed demon cat's host had slanted eyes—like a cat."

The Toad Sage was impressed.

"I'm not sure what characteristic it will be…but something about him will seem odd."

"Hey! You're right!" Naruto smiled at her.

"You're right on the mark, Sakura." Jiraiya smiled as well. "Good work."

"Well, she was one of _my_ students," Kakashi chimed in sleepily. "I'd expect no less."

Sasuke watched Sakura blush slightly as she climbed under her blanket. It was something she rarely did nowadays.

He arranged his own bed nearby.

"I'll take first watch then," The sannin frowned at the others. "Rest up. In two days we'll be in Thunder country."

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The time passed uneventfully. And on the evening of the second day, the mountains of Thunder Country were visible.

Due to the unique geography of the land, storms constantly rolled through the atmosphere. The air was heavy and moisture laden, making the squalls violent with massive bolts of lightening and deafening claps of thunder.

Here, on the edge of the country, the sky was overcast and a bitter wind whipped cruelly through their clothes.

"Let get as far in as we can today." Kakashi eyes the sky. "The first town we see we'll stop and ask around. Remember, you're not a shinobi and, most importantly, you're not from another country. If someone asks you, we're farmers bound for family in the east."

"What's the name of the village we're looking for?" Sakura asked.

"Yomakahanaru."

It started to rain.

"Lets go. The weather is only going to get worse from here on out."

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They passed many small, modest homes the further they progressed into the stormy land. Most of them were constructed on stilts, with wooden walkways and stairs connecting to adjacent buildings.

Jiraiya pointed out that during the heavy storm seasons, most of the land would probably flood.

And Sakura noted, as they stood waiting patiently for Kakashi, that even the gardens and the livestock were kept on stilted, glass covered areas of grass and soil.

The door to a nearby house opened, the copy-nins silhouette outlined by the brightness behind him. They heard him say some words of thanks before stepping back out into the rain.

"Nearest inn is in the next town over. Maybe about a two hour walk."

"They didn't recognize the village name?"

Kakashi shook his head. "They didn't have a clue. But the man and his wife also mentioned they rarely get any travelers in this area. So anyone who ever stops by is from someplace they've never heard of."

"Unfortunate for us." The Toad Sage wiped the water from his face. "Let's get going. If there's one thing I hate more than being drenched, it's sleeping out in the woods while I'm drenched."

A distant rumbled of thunder strengthened his suggestion.

As they walked, Sakura took in all she could of the scenery.

The land was rocky and moss covered. And the trees easily dwarfed any she had seen in Konoha. Their huge branches spread out and then drooped low. The roots of those giants reached out just as far in the rough terrain, making the walking treacherous.

Even as she was thinking it, Naruto tripped in front of her, sprawling out on the muddy ground.

"Aw, damn it!" He stood, looking down at himself. "Damn it!"

Kakashi rolled his eye. "Naruto, how long have you had those feet?" He asked seriously.

"It's not my fault! Stupid roots!" The blond kicked at them. "I can't even see two feet in front of me with all this rain!"

Sasuke sighed and frowned at Naruto. "If we had known you'd be so much trouble, we would have told Tsunade to keep you in Konoha."

"No way! She said she specifically wanted me on this mission. Me!" He pointed to himself.

"Then maybe we should have tied you up somewhere." Jiraiya said jokingly. "Now come on. Once your underwear gets wet its all over."

Everyone looked at him.

Once they were on the move again, Kakashi rubbed his head. _What have I gotten myself into?_

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Sasuke scanned around the small town they had come to. Its architecture was the same as the other buildings he had seen so far, but there were may more of them, some more than a few stories high.

Even in the heavy rain, people were still out and about. Most were villagers, but some, undoubtedly were shinobi. These he marked specifically in his mind. If there was going to be any trouble, it would be good to know where the defenses were set up.

A town like this wouldn't have much protection, but Sasuke was not sure how close they were to The Hidden Cloud City—Thunder Country's hidden village. If it were nearby, there would be a great many more ninjas to worry about.

For every secret look he gave, he was aware he was getting one in return. Newcomers to any village were always watched closely. It was a good thing they were headed straight to the inn.

Sakura stopped abruptly ahead of him, causing him to bump into her slightly.

"Sorry, Sasuke-kun," she whispered, her gaze elsewhere. "I think we're being watched."

He nodded, impressed that she had noticed. But he should have expected that. Sakura was a chuunin. Her rank was higher than his at the moment.

"Sakura," he pushed her gently. "Keep moving."

"_Maybe you'd be walking with her if you weren't such an asshole."_ He frowned, remembering Jiraiya's comment. He supposed he could have asked her instead of ordering her.

But Sakura seemed unfazed and she lengthened her stride to catch up with the others as they prepared to enter the inn.

"Welcome!" The jolly looking man behind the counter greeted them. He smiled widely, gesturing to the large dining area. "Please come in and make yourselves comfortable!"

They nodded in thanks, sitting quietly at a corner table.

"Hey! Hey mister!" Naruto shouted across the room. "Do you have ramen here?"

Kakashi buried his face in his hands.

"Ramen?" The innkeeper looked clueless. "What's ram…" His face broke into another smile at Naruto's disappointed look. "Of course we have ramen! Only the best ramen in all of Thunder Country!"

"Phew." The kyuubi boy leaned back.

Sakura kicked him under the table. "We're supposed to keep a low profile," she growled.

But Jiraiya chuckled. "Naruto probably is what keeps us looking normal. It'd be stranger if we were a large group of silent visitors."

Kakashi looked up. "Just remember why we're here."

"To eat and sleep?"

"No," the ex-sensei said dryly. "Any chance you get, ask about Yomakahanaru."

"Right, right. I was only joking, Kakashi-sensei."

Thankfully the food arrived before Naruto could wear on Kakashi's nerves any more.

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After a few hours, the dinning area of the inn was full.

And each member of team 7 spread out respectively to see what information they could gather.

"Stick next to me, Sakura-chan." Naruto whispered next to her. "There's probably a lot of perverted old men in here." He looked pointedly at Jiraiya.

Sasuke had been thinking the same thing, but had chosen to remain quite on the subject. But at least Sakura knew Naruto was worried about her.

"Don't worry so much, Naruto. You have to pick who you talk with carefully."

Sasuke sighed and watched them move off into the crowd.

Sakura worked her way around the tables, hearing bits and pieces of conversations as she passed. Some people were travelers, others were just there to socialize, and some were there for sake.

The later she stayed away from.

Someone did happen to catch her eye.

Next to the fire, an old woman sat, tugging at the wet laces of her boots.

_She reminds me of Chiyo_. Sakura smiled to herself at the memory of the old puppet master.

"Um, excuse me," She knelt down to help the struggling elder. "Do you mind if I help you?"

The wrinkled face looked at her in surprise, but nodded slowly, watching as the pink-haired young woman worked quickly through the knotted laces.

Sakura smiled, pulling her fingers away, but stopped when she realized they were stained crimson.

She looked at the old woman in shock. "You're injured somewhere! Let me help you!"

"No!" A withered hand gripped her firmly. "Do not waste bandages on a poor old woman like myself."

Emerald eyes stared kindly at the old face. Sakura placed her own hand on the one that was holding her arm. "I can heal you, if you'll let me."

"Child, I appreciate your kindness. No many would help an old woman dry her feet by the fire. But the wound is nothing. It will heal in time. Do not waste your energy."

"Are you sure? It wouldn't take much if it's not serious."

The crone nodded. "I am sure. My name is Saruwatari."

"Mine is Haruno Sakura. I am glad to meet you."

The old woman nodded in greeting. "Now since you helped me, tell me how I may return the favor."

Sakura smiled warmly, pulling up a chair next to her. "Maybe there is something you can help me with. You see, my family and I are traveling through the country in order to live closer to other members of the family. But we were hoping to stop in Yomakahanaru on the way—Do you know where that is?"

The old woman's eyes went wide. It was a moment before she replied. "Child, what purpose do you have in that cursed place?"

The medic looked at her shocked expression, her own one of puzzlement. "We had just heard rumors of what a grand place it was. We had hoped to take some time there on our way."

The old woman's eyes narrowed. "You'd do well to forget that you ever heard of such a town. It is empty now—nothing but ruins. And those may not even be left since the trees started to take it over."

"Empty?"

Saruwatari nodded. Take it from me there is nothing but death in that place.

Sakura sat back, her expression thoughtful. "Thank you, for your information."

The weathered woman huddled further into her cloak. Other than her face and stocking feet, Sakura could see nothing else of her form. Her sleeves were far too long for her hands to be visible.

"Just heed my advice." Saruwatari stood. Her hunched figure moved closer to the fire. "Stay away. Stay far, far away."

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Sakura sat on the ledge of her window, watching as giant streaks of lightening lanced through the night sky.

Even if the thunder hadn't been so loud, she wouldn't have been able to sleep.

Out of all the people they had talked to, only Sakura had managed to get any information about

Yomakahanaru. She had even managed to gather it was somewhere a few days north of their current location. But after that, the kind old woman had said goodnight and had left Sakura sitting alone by the fire.

Now, Sakura sat in the solitude of her own room, wondering just what had happened to the mysterious town. Had the Raiju destroyed it? Maybe the Raiju was dead and its death had caused the destruction of the town.

Another blot of lightening illuminated the sky.

The following rumble of thunder almost drowned out the faint knocking at her door.

"Eh? Who is it?" She walked cautiously over.

"Sakura," Sasuke's voice was muffled through the heavy door.

Her eyes narrowed but she opened it slightly.

The Uchiha stood in the hallway, his eyes black in the minimal light.

"Prove it," She said wearily. All she needed was to let someone else into her room under the guise of one of her teammates.

"A ninja attacks when…" He recited the code they had made up years ago during the chuunin exam.

She opened the door the rest of the way.

"How do you know I'm not Naruto?" Sasuke asked coolly.

"Hmph. Naruto could never remember that word for word. He probably doesn't even remember it at all."

She went back over to the window. "Is the storm keeping you awake too?"

"No. Naruto snores louder than any storm. I was tempted to strangle him in his sleep, so I thought it would be best if I left for a few minutes."

She chuckled. "Kakashi and I normally just hold his nose shut until he starts breathing through his mouth again."

"He is still…something else."

She nodded.

They were quiet for a while, watching the storm.

"I should go back to Naruto." Sasuke headed to the door. "Kakashi would angry if he knew I was here."

Sakura shrugged. "He just worries more than he'll admit."

"He thinks I'm going to hurt you." Sasuke's eyes narrowed angrily, but his back was to her.

He could tell Sakura was staring at him.

"He thinks he knows me so well…" The Uchiha's fists trembled in anger. "But I wouldn't ever hurt any of you again."

"We know that, Sasuke. Naruto and I know. And that's all that matters."

Sasuke's expression softened and he headed to the door.

As he left, he said quietly, "I don't hate you either, Sakura. I know you've always thought that I did. But I don't."

She sat there for a while listening to the rain pelt the rooftops.

Tomorrow would mean the start of days of traveling. Tomorrow they were that much closer to the Raiju..

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**Coming soon--**

**Chapter 15: The Raiju**


	15. Chapter 15

Ppppsssssttttt!...I don't own Naruto…in case anyone forgot.

**Chapter 15: The Raiju**

Sakura's fingers dug deeper into the bark of the tree. She crouched down, shielding her body as best she could against the driving wind. All around her she could hear branches snapping as the storm assailed them from every angle.

Somewhere nearby, the other teammates were similarly positioned—everyone doing their best to make it through the violent weather.

Overhead, lightning bolts seared through the clouds followed closely by teeth-rattling booms of thunder.

A heavy branch crashed down and thumped cruelly onto her shoulder.

Sakura winced. She was aware that there would be more injuries before the torrent was over.

The weather had been getting worse the further North they traveled. Now almost twice a day they found themselves under cover in an attempt to avoid the dangerous storms. Even though they never lasted very long, it was enough to turn their two day trip into a three day one.

They had not seen another town for at least a day.

Somewhere to her left she heard Jiraiya curse loudly.

The bruises would be too numerous to count soon enough.

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"Things are going as planned." The cloaked figured said. "With the exception of a few things."

He glared at the Uchiha in annoyance.

But Itachi was unaffected by the comment.

The Akatsuki leader continued. "Now, not only do we not have the ring—we do not have the kyuubi. And what's worse…Kakashi and his team seem to have vanished from our radar. Not even our connections in Konoha know where the Hokage dispatched them."

"It is pointless to have the kyuubi when we cannot seal him." Kisame said from beside his partner. "We already have awoken the statue and even now the lesser countries fall into our snare."

"That's the problem with you, Kisame. You never see the larger picture. We are beyond sealing now. I'll not send another group into Konoha so the sannin can destroy us. If we can't possess the demon fox, then we must destroy him. We can't have that kind of power opposing us." He smiled in thought. "Just as we can't have the other un-sealable demons running around. So…you're just going to have to catch them and kill them."

"I have other things that need my attention." Itachi's voice was quiet.

The leader narrowed his eyes. "As long as you are a part of this organization, you'll work towards 'our' goal. Your other business can wait."

"Actually, it can't wait." He stood. "However, is my brother still in the company of Uzumaki Naruto?"

"Yes. As well as in the company of Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura, and that bothersome sannin, Jiraiya."

The Uchiha nodded. "Then our interests are the same at the moment."

"If you think I am unaware of your plans, Itachi, you are sadly mistaken. And if I feel that at any moment your obsession with Uchiha Madara's chakra threatens the Akatsuki—I will see to it that you will no longer be able to wear the robe."

They stared at each other, letting the impressions of their words sink in.

Itachi turned and walked away. "Come, Kisame. Let's go hunt some demons."

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"Are we really making camp here tonight?" Naruto shivered in his wet clothes.

"Unless you want to keep going all night until we hit Yomakahanaru. That is—if we were to get there tonight." Jiraiya yawned and settled next to a nearby tree.

"Fine," The blond tossed down his pack. "What I wouldn't give to have good old Scary Eyes back on the team."

"Eh? You mean Yamato?" Sakura chuckled nearby. "He didn't have scary eyes!"

"Yeah, you didn't see him get all weird in the bathhouse…"

She gave Naruto a questioning look.

He shook his head. "I wasn't even really going to look."

Her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Uh…I…well…"

"Naruto," Jiraiya interrupted. "Let's see if we can't find something dry enough to burn around here, ok?"

"Right! Sorry, Sakura-chan. Pervy Sage needs my help."

She frowned but let him escape with the sannin.

"Hey," a voice got her attention.

Sakura turned, catching the bundle Sasuke tossed at her.

"It's drier than yours." He said, his eyes closed as he propped himself up on a large root.

She stared at the rolled blanket. Her own clothes were soaked through and she knew her pack was just as wet.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

He didn't reply.

Kakashi looked lazily at the medic. "It's dry now, but I'd give it a few hours."

He tossed his own blanket to her.

"There. Now you have two."

The former sensei ignored Sasuke's stare from across the small clearing.

Sakura looked from one man to the other. She knew the act of kindness had turned into something that didn't even involve her.

She walked over to where Naruto had dropped his pack. Laying out the blankets for her blond friend, she turned back to Kakashi and Sasuke.

"I'm sure Naruto will thank you when he gets back."

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"So you tried peeping at your teammate, eh?" Jiraiya nodded knowingly at Naruto. "You're lucky you didn't turn out like me after I was caught by Tsunade."

"I didn't! I wasn't even thinking of it. It was all just a big misunderstanding."

"Sure, sure. Not that I blame you."

Naruto glared at him. "Do not talk about Sakura-chan that way."

The sannin chuckled, pulling a semi-dry piece of wood out of the undergrowth. "Relax, boy. Your secret is safe with me."

He sighed.

"Besides…" Jiraiya droned on even as Naruto tuned him out.

Something else had caught his attention.

The forest floor before him had changed. The trees were smaller, shooting up through block-like remains of what appeared to have been stilted buildings. Broken paths of what were once roadways could be seen snaking through the vegetation and in the distance, a large building still partially stood. To Naruto, it strongly resembled Konoha's Hokage palace.

"Naruto? Naruto, have you heard a word that I've said?" Jiraiya stepped up next to him.

He followed the blond's gaze out into the landscape.

"Do you think it's Yomakahanaru?"

The sannin shrugged. "Could be many ghost towns in this area. Let's go back to camp. We won't be able to see anything until morning anyhow."

Once they were back at camp, Jiraiya relayed what they had seen.

Kakashi looked thoughtful. "Alright," he said. "At first light we go search. But lets get some sleep before it starts to storm again."

"Hey!" Naruto picked up the dry blankets. "You guys aren't going to need these?"

They ignored him.

Sasuke glanced over at Sakura. She sat with her back to them, huddled against a tree. He could see her shaking under her wet blanket.

_Damn it Kakashi._ He could never make things right if the former ANBU captain wouldn't let him.

Sasuke stood.

He strode over to where Naruto lay and pulled one of the blankets off of him.

"Hey!"

The Uchiha shot him a warning glare.

Yanking the wet blanket away from Sakura, he tossed the dry one on her. "Don't be so stubborn next time," he said gruffly, walking past as she stared at him wide-eyed.

The rest of the team was silent.

Kakashi turned away, glad that no one could see the smile beneath his mask.

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Surprisingly, there were no storms overnight.

Sakura looked up at the sky and then back out at the strange town. The clouds were still an ominous grey. There was no doubt the rain would come.

She move cautiously through the remains of the buildings, searching for any signs that might let them know if they were indeed where they wanted to be.

There wasn't much left to help in the investigation. Most of the buildings had crumbled beyond recognition. Any wood that had been left over from walkways or stilts was largely rotted—though Sakura noted that some of the pieces were charred as if they had been burned in a fire.

_Strange._ She thought. _I wouldn't think anything would burn long in a land plagued with rain. Maybe one house—but a whole town?_

"Yo," Kakashi called from the area he had been searching. "I think I've found our answer."

They gathered around the large section of rubble.

"Yomakaha…" The rest of the inscription was broken off.

By the looks of it, it had once been a piece of the city gates.

"There's just something strange," Sakura said, studying the singe marks on the rock plate. "Have you guys noticed—"

"AAAARRRRRRGGGGGGG!"

A huge piece of rock came hurtling down at them.

They jumped back and stared up at the figure standing on top of the remains of a nearby wall.

Short, possibly hunched, the stranger was covered from the neck down in a long grey robe. A straw hat covered the head and a loose piece of black cloth covered the rest of the face. Only the eyes were visible.

Sakura looked up in alarm as five more replicas of the ninja appeared.

_Clones?_ She couldn't tell which one was the real attacker. _One for each of us._

The hunched figures leapt down at them with amazing speed.

Just as she had anticipated, they squared off with each separate member of team 7.

Sakura dodged the series of punches, flipping backwards and out of range from her assailant's kick. Her brow furrowed and she raised her fist menacingly. She would evade as long as possible, but she wasn't afraid of a fight either.

The beady eyes stared at her over the mask.

_Why isn't he using any other techniques?_ She could spar with taijutsu all day.

Sakura channeled her chakra into her fist. Landing a hit that would have shattered a wall—the clone she had been fighting vanished.

Sakura looked around.

The only one still fighting was Naruto.

_His isn't a clone._

The blue-eyed ninja had summoned clones of his own and was currently forming a ball of ransengan in the palm of his hand.

The thunder nin jumped back, luring the kyuubi holder away from the rest of the team.

Naruto raced after, the pocket of power growing in his hand.

"Come back here you bastard!" He jumped from wall to wall.

Finally, the cloaked figure stopped. It raised its hand, a small glimmer of light pulsing in the sleeve-covered palm. As they watched, the glimmer grew. It turned a brilliant white, spinning and hovering over the sleeved hand, pulsing as it grew.

Naruto's eyes went wide. He sent another of his clone to work instilling the wind element into the already present ransengan.

The enemy ninja lifted his other arm. In the opposite palm, a new glimmer began. Just as the white one had begun, this one slowly grew until it was a swirling mass of red flame.

Naruto stood and waited. His own power swirled before him.

The figure made no other move and continued to hold the separate glowing spheres in each hand.

Sakura squinted. There was something odd about their adversary.

_Those arms are incredibly long…and that posture…seems like more than just a deformity._

She looked up in realization and rushed to the space between where they stood.

"Wait!" Naruto! Wait!"

He looked down at her. "Wha?"

She pointed at the masked figure. "He's the one we're here for!"

The mysterious ninja raised his hands over his head, meshing the two orbs of power together. There was a painfully brilliant flash of light and a sound louder than any thunder they had ever heard. A massive wave of power surged forward, sending everyone flying backward.

Sakura looked up from where she had landed, slightly dazed.

The shinobi remained on top of the wall. He watched them while he tossed the strange ball of fire and lightening from hand to hand.

Naruto was the first back on his feet. Even though his own jutsu had been discharged, he jumped back onto the wall.

"Hey!" He pointed. "What the hell do you think you're doing attacking us like that?!?"

There was no response.

"I asked you a question!"

"Do not anger me further," came the warning.

_Wait a minute…_ Sakura staggered to her feet.

"I just want to ask you some questions!"

"You should have stayed away!" The voice growled, crackling like the lightening it held. "You should never have come."

Naruto was oblivious to Sakura hopping up behind him even as Kakashi and Sasuke made a move to stop her.

"It's you," she stared at the cleverly concealed figure. "It was you all along."

"You don't understand," the thunder ninja rasped. "You're not safe here. I could destroy you, just as I destroyed this village."

"But we need to talk to you."

"No! I'm not strong enough any longer…"

Naruto put a hand on Sakura's shoulder. He looked at her questioningly.

"Please, Saruwatari. Please." Emerald eyes beseeched the ninja.

The ball of power vanished.

Removing the cloth mask, the old woman stared back at them. She nodded her head sadly. "Because you were once kind to me…I will talk with you."

She hopped down and walked over to them.

Sakura offered the old woman her arm.

As they walked over to an area fit for sitting, Saruwatari glanced over her shoulder at Naruto.

"That wasn't too bad, child. Not too bad at all."

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**Coming soon: Chapter 16: The Answer**

**Author's note:** If you are not up to date with the manga—one scene has references in it from a chapter where Naruto was considering peeping into the woman's bath house. Yamato wisely stopped him by telling him a story about how Tsunade had beat Jiraiya within and inch of his life after she had caught him doing the same thing.

Also, I don't know if anyone knew it or not… but the name "saruwatari" has to do with monkeys.


	16. Chapter 16

Oh Naruto... how must I disclaim thee…

**Chapter 16: The Answer**

"I warned you. But young people rarely listen."

The elderly woman shook her head sadly.

"That's why you wouldn't let me heal you, wasn't it?" Sakura asked quietly.

Saruwatari nodded. "You would have known what was inside of me as soon as you used your chakra to heal me. And though I am old, the Raiju still allows my wounds to close quickly."

"But why try and keep us away?" Naruto still eyed her cautiously. "You said yourself that Sakura was nice to you."

She turned her black eyes to him.

"I am old. So old, I have lost tack of the years. The demon provided me with unnaturally long life. However, I am mostly human, and therefore I will die. And as I age… I am not always strong enough to hold the Raiju back." She gestured to the ruins around them. "This was not intentional. It was not an act of war. Instead, it was the result of my loss of control."

"So you live here, alone, to hopefully prevent hurting more innocent people."

The thunder elder nodded at Kakashi's statement. "Every once in a great while, I travel to a town just to keep in touch with humanity. I never thought I'd run in to someone actually looking for me."

"You're lucky it was us." Naruto said. "We're the good guys."

"The good guys, eh? You don't look like you're from around here."

"No way!" The blond smiled ear to ear. "We're from the Land of Fire!"

"Naruto…" Kakashi shook his head.

"Oh…right…"

"The Land of Fire? That's quite a journey. You came all that way just to find me?"

"We're just lucky we found you first." Sakura looked at Naruto. "We aren't the only ones searching."

The old face smiled again. "Who would have known that after so many years I would be so in demand!"

She chuckled softly for a moment before she noticed Sakura's sad expression.

"What is it child? Your journey is at an end and your smile has vanished."

"Akatsuki." The pink-haired medic looked at the ground. "They've been searching for you as well."

At the woman's puzzled look, Jiraiya spoke up. "A dangerous criminal organization. They are bent on world domination."

"Ha! And what would they want with me? I'm so old I can barely get up in the morning anymore."

"They have been…collecting…tailed-beasts. They extract them through rigorous ceremonies and seal them within a giant statue. With so many of the creatures locked inside, they can use the powers as they see fit—awakening the statue and using it as a tool of war."

"My God." Saruwatari sucked in a breath. "I don't know what I would do without the Raiju within me…."

"You'd die." Sasuke answered her.

She glanced at him briefly before turning back to Jiraiya. "The hosts are all dead?"

"Akatsuki have gained the first five tailed-beasts. Only one host survived—but that was at the cost of another's life."

"A weapon the likes of which you speak would be unstoppable."

"That's why we're here." Naruto said. "We need your help."

"My help?"

"Yeah! Our Kage sent us to find you in hopes that you will help us oppose Akatsuki."

"But my power can't take on the powers of collective demons. And to summon enough to even make a difference would cause the Raiju to take over completely." Saruwatari frowned. "I may be old but I'm not ready to die yet."

"We are not asking you alone to stand with us." Kakashi added. "We are after the remaining tailed-beasts as well."

"It's a hopeless dream." She sighed. "Even if I thought you had a chance—which I don't—I am not willing to wage war any longer."

At their downtrodden expressions she sighed. "Come. Stay with me as my guests tonight before your journey back. The old mansion at the end of town may look run down, but I've kept it surprisingly comfortable." She smiled sympathetically at Naruto. "There is even a hot spring in the lower level."

They followed her solemnly, her answer echoing in their minds.

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The old building Naruto had thought resembled the Hokage's palace was, infact, the old mansion of Saruwatari's ancestors.

Built on great pillars of stone, only half of the house had sustained any kind of major damage. The rest remained livable. The inside was kept relatively bare, and the old woman explained that she rarely had visitors and it was impractical for her to keep useless things.

The rooms, however, were warm and dry, even if they contained no beds for the team to use. Instead, their host provided them with mounds of dry blankets. To the travel-weary bunch, it was as good as a feather bed.

One by one, she showed them to their rooms until only she and Naruto remained.

The Kyuubi boy seemed to have a permanent frown chisled on his face.

"You don't approve of my answer?" She asked him quietly, a knowing smile on her face.

"Hmph. I can understand your reasons. I just don't think they are good enough."

"It is easy to charge head first into battle when you are young and strong. I…am neither."

"But what about all the people who will suffer? Don't you want to protect them?" He turned his blue eyes to her.

"I killed everyone I ever cared about." The wrinkled face saddened. "I have no one left to protect."

"Exactly!" He said. "Don't you want to make things right? Now you have the chance to save so many innocent people!"

She looked away from him.

Naruto continued. "You can't live here, alone, forever! Think of all the good you could do out in the world! Why…why…it's almost worse than going out and giving yourself to Akatsuki!"

She regarded him with interest. "You are a very passionate young man. I don't think I've ever met anyone quite like you."

"I just know that I'm going to protect everyone. Someday, I'm going to be Hokage, and that means everyone will look up to me. I won't let them be killed…or worse." He clenched his fists. "Even if it means my life, I'm going to be there for the people I care about."

They stopped in front of a door.

"It is rare to see such conviction in anyone nowadays. You and your companions are a unique bunch. I truly believe that you will achieve your dreams someday. But I also believe that our paths are not the same."

He looked at her defiantly. "I'll save everyone…with or without your help. I won't let this stop me."

She nodded. "Rest. Enjoy the hot bath in the first level if you and your companions like. I will wake you in the morning."

Saruwatari turned and walked away. She heard Naruto open the door and step inside the room.

_That kid. He'll make a great Hokage some day._

She chuckled softly to herself. He was a cute kid.

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"I just don't get it," Naruto sunk down into the hot water. "How can she say no after all we went through to get here?"

"It is her choice, Naruto." Jiraiya yawned. "We cannot force her to risk her life. We are not even from the same country."

"But why does that matter?" The blond asked. "Where you're from doesn't mean anything about who you are."

Kakashi smirked. "That's a rather profound statement coming from you."

Jiraiya was also taken aback. _This kid has the heart of a king._

Naruto glared at his team leader and leaned back against the stone rim of the pool.

"Maybe you should all be quiet and enjoy the warm water." Sasuke stared up at the ceiling. "Don't you ever get tired of talking?"

"Yeah, we can't be down here too long. Sakura will want to use it at some time too." A big grin appeared on the blue-eyed youth's face.

Sasuke shot Naruto a look that wiped the smile away instantly.

But Jiraiya was oblivious and burst out laughing. "You're a kid right after my own heart, Naruto." He wiped a tear away from the corner of his eye. "What a kid."

"I don't think Sakura would appreciate any part of this conversation." Kakashi said dryly. "I, for one, am quite disturbed by it."

"And you call yourself a fan of my books." The sannin shook his head. "That's not the talk of an Icha Icha fan."

Sasuke stepped out of the water. "Naruto," He fixed his friend with a cool stare. "If you come down here again tonight—I'll know."

The Uchiha turned and left the room.

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Sakura stared out at the rain. From the balcony, she could see the many mountains of Thunder Country as well as the many storms that swirled around them.

It was a breath-taking sight.

"Mind if I join you?"

She turned to see Saruwatari approaching.

"I like the storms. There's just something about them."

"I have always enjoyed them myself." The old woman leaned on the railing. "But they are also a part of me."

Sakura smiled. "Thank you for letting us stay here."

The woman nodded. "You are not disappointed by my answer?"

"I am. But I know we'll find another way. After so many years with Naruto, you learn that there is more than one way to do anything."

"Hmmm. Naruto again. He's quite the person isn't he?"

The medic chuckled. "He is. Even after all he's been through—he still cares more than anyone I know."

"Ah…a hard childhood?"

Sakura looked out at the storm. "If you could call it a childhood. He was an outcast—hated and feared by the village. No parents. Only the legacy our Fouth Hokage left him. He was so alone. Just the knowledge that the kyuubi…"

"The kyuubi!?!" Saruwatari was shocked. "Naruto…"

Sakura nodded. "He's the fox's host."

The old woman was speechless. How could something as evil as the nine-tails live inside the body of such a good-hearted person? But she should have known there was even more to him than she had noticed.

"… And even though the villagers fear him…Naruto will fight for them until the end."

He had come all this way to find her. His hope was that she'd save the people he loved—no—not just the people he loved—but the entire world. She didn't know what to say.

"How could I have been so blind?" The thunder elder whispered. "So selfish?"

"Selfish?" Sakura asked.

Tears appeared in the old woman's eyes. "I'm an old fool. An old fool who has lived her life hiding. I am ashamed…and am unworthy to be called a shinobi."

She ignored Sakura's questioning look.

"He has the kyuubi inside of him… and yet he still goes on…" She shook her head. "Forgive me…I must go…I will wake you in the morning."

Sakura watched her leave and then turned her eyes back to the gathering storms.

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Sasuke lay in the confines of his own room, staring up at the ceiling.

_Itachi_.

His brother must be wondering where the kyuubi had gone to. After all, the oldest Uchiha kept close tabs on the young man.

He knew Akatsuki were not far behind. Whether they knew team 7 was after the Raiju or not—they themselves had been hunting it down for years.

It was just a matter of time before they found her.

He sat up. There was no way he would be able to sleep.

He left his room, wandering the building in the dim light, barely aware that outside the thunder and lightning were raging.

He passed Naruto's room. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, but he could sense his friend inside.

_At least he has more sense than I thought he did._ Sasuke continued on. He wasn't sure what he would have done if Naruto had been missing from his room.

The Uchiha walked absent mindedly, thoughts swirling in his head. He had remained quiet throughout most of the journey. But that only meant he had more to think on.

Sasuke wasn't aware of how far he had progressed until the gentle sound of water reached his ear.

_The hot spring_. He could see the room just ahead, the warm light from within tempting.

But as he approached, he froze, instinctively knowing someone else was within.

_Only two people it could be._

He peered a little more within the entrance, spotting a tousled pile of clothes.

_Shit._

If he she caught him leaving, Sakura would think he had been spying on her. But he couldn't go any further.

_Or could he? What difference would one or two more steps make?_

Sasuke scowled at himself in disgust. Was he no better than Naruto?

Grinding his teeth, he willed himself to move, turning on his heel and racing back the way he had come.

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The next morning, Saruwatari woke her guests, instructing them to gather in the large hall when they were ready to leave.

One by one the members of team 7 made their way to the room, packs made up, bed rolls tucked tightly against the threat of water.

But their hostess was not present.

Sakura glanced around. Everyone seemed well rested. Her gaze fell last on Sasuke.

He shifted his stance, avoiding her stare.

Sakura sighed. Why was his face so flushed with anger? She would never learn how to read his moods. And she couldn't think of anything she could have done to upset him.

He turned his back to her.

"I see you are ready to be off."

They turned to look at the heavily garbed figure before them.

Sakura stared at the pack on the old woman's back.

"Surprised?" She smiled at their faces. "I have learned a hard lesson about honor and duty. But," she walked to them. "I have also remembered love, and what it means to love an idea…to hope…and…to dream."

Naruto grinned.

Saruwatari clapped him on the back. "Shall we? I'm not getting any younger you know."

"Right!" Naruto strode toward the door. "Now…where are we going?"

Jiraiya sighed. "The seven tails… hopefully he's in Earth Country."

"The Earth Country?" Saruwatari asked.

They nodded.

"I think I may regret this yet."

Sakura smiled, walking next to her as they exited the building.

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**Coming soon: Chapter 17: The Land of Rock and Clay**

Please note that since this story is nearing its end… it is going to take me a little longer to develop the chapters. We don't want another "chapter 14 distaster" So thanks for being patient!


	17. Chapter 17

Yes, and by now I hope we all know I do NOT own Naruto….

**Author's note**: Just some quick info… I had someone suggest what the tailed beasts should be—and I agree with them for the most part. Those are definite possibilities. However, I have checked out the same resources and the animals I chose are also listed as possibilities. Common belief has the eight tails being Orochi—a giant snake. That may very well be since we have seen a lot of snake-related things in Naruto. However, Hachimata, a dragon, is also listed as a choice. I chose to go with this one and with my choice for the seven tails. It suits my story better to use these… and really, no one knows what they will be for sure.

**Chapter 17: The Land of Rock and Clay**

"Alright," Kakashi stopped the group. "Remember—keep your forehead protectors hidden at all times. Of all the countries we will be traveling through, The Land of Earth is most hostile towards our Land of Fire. Same story applies here…we're farmers heading closer to family."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. They were the oddest looking bunch of farmers he had ever seen.

It was a poor excuse, but the easiest one to go along with.

They had been traveling for close to two months now since the start of their mission. Everyone was on the quiet side, with the exception of Saruwatari. Having only left her home a few weeks ago, the elder was bubbling over with conversation.

Sasuke scowled as they continued on. He couldn't understand why people were so afraid to just be quiet.

He did smile slightly to himself as the Raiju woman accosted Naruto and Sakura with another barrage of words.

They were far more tolerant of it than he would have been. But there was no arguing that Naruto could hold his own against her in talking. The blond teammate chattered just as much it seemed.

Sakura dropped back to where the Uchiha was walking.

"Hey Sasuke-kun." She smiled at him.

He nodded curtly in response.

The first few days after leaving Yomakahanaru Sasuke had avoided his female teammate. But once he realized she was none the wiser about his accidental stroll that night, he relaxed. The incident still made him unbelievably angry when he thought about it.

He had always tried to be above emotions.

It was only hatred that he let show through—hatred for his brother.

He had been back with the team now for over half a year. And even in that short time he had begun to see how it was changing him. He smiled—sometimes even chuckled—at the things they said. He was concerned and not just for a few of them. He really thought if it came down to it, he would stand up for any of them. It was as it had once been for him… he had felt this way about them before. But…he was unused to how strong his feelings for Sakura had become. It was more than just the childhood crush he had had before. And more so, he was disgusted with how much it bothered him that he didn't know what her feelings towards him were.

_You're just lucky she doesn't hate you. It's more than you deserve._

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

_Forget about it, Sasuke. You blew it a long time ago._

The pink-haired medic walked quietly next to him, unaware of the thoughts going through his mind.

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He kicked the badly singed piece of timber, sending it flying against the ruins of a nearby wall.

"Kisame, relax."

The blue man looked at his partner. "Relax?! Are you serious? It's gone and you want me to relax?"

Something brushed against Itachi's face. He stepped back and pulled it from the beam it was snagged on.

He held it up in the misty rain.

"It would seem we weren't the first ones here. Tell me what color this is, Kisame."

His partner frowned at the reminder of how bad his cohort's eyes were.

The Akatsuki took it from the Uchiha's fingers.

"Pink." He said.

A slow smile formed on Itachi's face. "Well, let's get going. We've got a lot of ground to make up."

"Humor isn't your thing, Itachi. There's no way the two of us can take on two bijuu as well as the shinobi traveling with them."

"I agree." He wound the pink hair around his finger. "That's not what I was suggesting at all."

A look of comprehension appeared on the shark-like man's face.

He smiled, showing rows of teeth.

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As far as Sakura was concerned, there was no more appropriate name for this country than the Land of Earth.

Mostly hard clay, the land was full of hills and mounds, cliffs and caves. Rocks only added to the solid make-up of the soil, making the vegetation much different than that of the Land of Thunder. Everywhere they looked, tall, scraggly pine trees dotted the landscape amid a sea of reed-like grass.

"We're going to avoid the towns here," Kakashi called from the head of the team. "We want to keep our presence here as discreet as possible."

"Damn it." Sakura heard Naruto say. "That means more sleeping on the ground."

Beside him, Saruwatari chuckled.

"At least the weather is more regulated here." Jiraiya said. "You'll be on the ground, but you'll be dry."

"How are we going to find the Kaku if we aren't going to talk to anyone?"

"Unlike the other demons, the seven-tails hasn't kept as low a profile." The sannin gestured to the hills in the distance. "The eastern edge of the mountain range seems to be where most of the incidents have been."

"Incidents?" Sakura asked.

"Yes. Unlike our Saruwatari, the Kaku's host seems to be as ill tempered as the demon he has within him. There have been many reports of attacks as well as destructive changes in the landscape. Years ago, a representative from this country came to the land of Fire and recalled these things to the Third."

Sakura glanced at the mountains in the distance. Compared to the jagged peaks of Thunder Country, these mountains contained less angles, holding a rounder shape.

She walked along quietly, having dropped behind even Sasuke, when she felt an odd sensation. It was like the hairs on her neck were standing on end.

She cast a look behind her but could see nothing on their path. Still, the feeling was there. And she couldn't see far enough into the dark pine trees to tell if they were being watched.

"Sasuke-kun," she whispered.

He glanced over his shoulder.

"Sasuke-kun…"

Something flew out of the woods to their right.

Sakura bolted forward, tackling Sasuke and knocking him to the ground as the strange weapon went whizzing by.

Team 7 was instantly on the defensive.

"Behind the rocks!" Kakashi motioned to the boulders on their left. "Everyone!"

Naruto grabbed Saruwatari and carried the old woman to safety.

She looked at him in annoyance. "Naruto, one thing the Raiju has given me is a monkey's agility. I may be old, but I can still move well enough."

He grinned sheepishly and looked around. "Sakura-chan?"

"I'm here."

The blond hopped over to her. "Are you alright?"

She nodded.

"Sasuke?"

"I'm fine, you idiot. Keep your eyes on the path!"

"Do not resist us." A voice called from the pine cluster. "We out number you ten to one."

"That's not bad odds," Naruto whispered.

The Toad Sage frowned at him. "We need to save our fighting for when we really need it. This might work to our advantage."

They kyuubi boy crossed his arms in disbelief. "Hmph. How could this possibly work to our advantage?"

"Yo," Kakashi called back to their attackers. "Why have you attacked us?"

"Come now, we've been watching you since you crossed our border. All outsiders are taken to the City Hidden in the Rocks. You will come out and give yourselves up."

"We are simply returning from a long trip. We only wish to make it back to our family."

A chorus of laughter could be heard from the trees. "Do not attempt to deceive us. No come out, or we will come and get you."

Kakashi glanced at Jiraiya.

The sannin nodded.

They stood, hands up in a gesture of surrender.

Naruto was shocked. "Hey! Pervy Sage, what the hell are you doing!?!"

"Quiet Naruto!" Jiraiya said through the corner of his mouth. "Their hidden city is in the same area we want to go. Not only will we avoid other possible trouble, but we can find a way out when we get there!"

The other three teammates looked at each other before standing.

Suddenly, from all around them, shinobi appeared. They materialized out of the trees, the rocks, and some even out of the ground itself.

The leader had not been lying when he'd said they were outnumbered.

A tall, scarred man stepped forward. A large water container was strapped to his back and he had numerous kunais attached on his person.

"You will follow us. Any trouble, and we will not hesitate to kill you." He looked around at them. "A strange lot for a group of travelers. I don't suppose you have passports?"

Kakashi rummaged through his pack, handing some wallet-like books to the man. Tsunade had been sure they were well prepared.

The earth shinobi took them, glancing through each. He tossed them to the man standing next to him. "Farmers, eh? I think not."

He motioned the group forward.

Surrounded by the enemy, team 7 kept close together.

Saruwatari leaned in next to Sakura.

"It's a shame," she whispered. "I was hoping to see that insane strength of yours again."

Sakura smiled.

Within the day, they would be in another country's hidden village.

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Back in Konoha, Tsunade shook her head as she looked at the reports in front of her.

_What I wouldn't give for some sake._

She sighed. What she wouldn't have given for Shizune's comforting words.

The door to her office opened.

"Ah, Hinata." She smiled at the shy girl.

"Tsunade-sama." She bowed.

"I have an important job for your team." The Hokage remained staring at the paper on her desk. "I need you to raise the alarm and tell everyone to prepare of war. I will hold a town meeting tomorrow. Make sure everyone is there."

The girl looked speechless.

Tsunade nodded. "I know. But Akatsuki have moved the statue into three of the smaller countries. It will just be a matter of months before they arrive here."

"W-why me, Hokage-sama?"

"Why not? You are as capable a shinobi as any I know. And besides, perhaps this will take your mind off of worrying about Naruto."

The Hyuuga heiress turned a bright shade of red.

The sannin laughed. "Do not worry, Hinata. You secret is safe with me. Now go and spread the word. Report back here when everyone is informed."

Hinata bowed and rushed out of the room.

The blond healer leaned back in her chair.

It would be a war to end all wars, of that she was sure.

She looked out the window at the horizon.

_My friends, how you are missed._

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**Coming soon: Chapter 18: The secret within Hidden Village Among the Rocks**


	18. Chapter 18

Blah blah blah…Naruto is NOT mine…blah blah blah

**Author's note**: The official name for The Hidden Rock Village is Iwagakure and its Kage is called Tsuchikage.

**Chapter 18: The Secret within Village Hidden Among Rocks**

Sakura was impressed by the unique construction that made up Iwagakure.

This hidden village was similar in size to Konoha, but it was almost invisible to the eye. The entrance arch was plain enough to see, but the buildings were set into the base of the mountain that loomed before them. Each home had its own spot carved out of the rock, some homes placed on top of the others.

Chiseled stairways climbed up and down the rock side. There were even roads carved into the mountain, giving the impression that the entire city was set back in one massive cave. Giant pillars rose up in various places, providing support for the massive mountain above.

"Keep moving." Someone shoved her roughly from behind.

She stumbled, almost falling and turned to glare at the enemy shinobi.

Face half covered with a brown mask, head covered with a hood, he glared back at her. He brandished his hands threateningly, elongating the nails on his fingers with dark chakra.

Sakura was tempted to stand her ground but someone touched her arm, pulling her gently along.

"Easy, Sakura," Kakashi whispered. "They are trying to provoke us. That is what they want."

She clenched her jaw but ignored the second push from behind.

Kakashi stepped behind her even as Sasuke did the same.

They looked at each other and nodded, keeping Sakura in the middle of the group.

It was all Sasuke could to do ignore the fact that the trouble-causing ninja had changed positions as well, aligning himself to Sakura's right side.

But the earth nin made no further move to confront her.

Sakura herself had noticed this as well, and stepped up closer to Naruto. Something about that shinobi made her increasingly uneasy.

As they approached what appeared to be the main stairwell, the party stopped and the man with the water jug on his back stepped towards them.

"You'll see the Tsuchikage now. He will decide what will be done with you." The man motioned to the large group of his ninjas.

They began to disperse with the exception of four.

One of those remaining was Sakura's antagonist.

"Come."

The ascended the stairs quickly, noting that a large building was emerging in front of them.

It was very similar to the Hokage's palace, and Sakura could only guess that this was its equal for the Tsuchikage.

Over six stories high, the building was not entirely stone. The roof and rafters as well as some balconies were made out of wood. They were cleverly fitted through carved out holes in the rock, no doubt adding to the overall support of the structure.

Shinobi surrounded the palace. They captive group passed at least seven on their way inside, and they were the ones that were meant to be seen.

They climbed higher within the building, arriving on the fifth floor before their guide turned down a hallway and led them to a large room.

The office was much more impressive than Tsunade's. It was almost three times the size, with a detailed map of all the countries spread out on a table. Sakura could see figurines laid on top, possibly for some military purpose.

Seated behind a massive desk was a man similar in age to Kakashi. The top of his black hair was short, and stood up in spiked peaks. But a section of it was left long. It reached down to the middle of his back, held there in a ponytail.

His ice-blue eyes pierced through them.

"Report, Mudo."

The shinobi with the water container stepped forward. He bowed. "Tsuchikage-sama. We found these six crossing the border. Their passports say they were originally from here and were traveling abroad." He looked back at them. "They do not look like they are from Earth Country."

"You." The Kage pointed at Naruto. "You're the spitting image of Konoha's Yellow Flash. And you," He pointed at Kakashi. "You've been here before. Though it was a long time ago."

He said this with absolute certainty.

If the memory bothered Kakashi, he didn't show it. His expression remained impassive.

The hawk-eyed man's attention shifted. "Where's my son?"

Sakura's eyes narrowed as the masked shinobi who had pushed her stepped forward.

He bowed respectfully.

"I think your time would be better spent training than on patrols." His icy tone made both Mudo and the young man cringe. "Go."

Without a word, the son stood and turned to leave the room, glaring maliciously at Sakura as he left.

She returned the glare full force.

"Leave us." The Tsuchikage dismissed the rest of the people in the room.

Jiraiya studied the fierce man. _He must be very confident in his abilities to leave it six against one._

As if reading the sannin's thoughts, he looked back at them. "Do not think you have an advantage here. The room may be empty, but I assure you the rest of the building and town is not."

He inclined his head at Naruto. "You—The Flash's kid—tell me why you're here."

Inwardly, Jiraiaya and Kakashi cringed. But they cringed because of the name the Kage was using, not because they were afraid of what Naruto would say.

The blond stared angrily at the Rock Village leader. "I don't know what you're talking about! I'm not the person you're thinking of. I never even knew my parents!"

The Kage was momentarily taken aback. But as he stared at Naruto's angry expression, he realized the youth truly believed he was not who the Tsuchikage thought he was.

And while he was, indeed, a cruel man—there were some things he wouldn't delve into.

"Alright," he said. "Normally, enemy shinobi are simply executed. However," he looked at the odd group, "I'm curious about you. Such a large cell for a mission. With such varied ages and skills. You are undercover—so you don't want to fight. What could you possibly be here for?"

No one spoke.

"Perhaps an introduction is in order." The Kage stood. "My name, though rarely used, is Rokuku. You however, will not call me that. You will use my formal title."

He pointed. "You."

"Sakura." She bowed politely.

He pointed again.

"Saruwatari." She also bowed.

"Sasuke." He hadn't acknowledged a superior since he was a child and wasn't going to start now. He remained standing straight.

"Jiraiya," The Toad Sage provided a slight bow.

"Kakashi." Again, a slight bow.

"Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto stepped forward. "And future Kage!"

Nearby, Kakashi shook his head. _At least he didn't name the village._

Surprisingly, Rokuku chuckled. "Future Kage? I am sure. But yet here you are, at the mercy of my will."

"Not for long!" His own blue eyes blazed. "I won't let this stop us! Our mission concerns even you!"

"Naruto!" Jiraiya grabbed his arm. "Enough."

"Relax, sannin." The Tsuchikage waved his hand in dismissal. He ignored Jiraiya's surprised look. "Yes, I know who you are. Though it is only the name I recognize and not your face."

Rokuku walked over to one of the windows overlooking the town. "I have business to attend to momentarily. But I wish to continue our conversation."

Six guards entered.

"I cannot have you out in the town, for I am sure you'd take any opportunity to leave. However, you may have free use of the fourth level of this palace. There is not much there, but it is spacious enough."

The rock shinobi began to escort them out.

"I will send for you again." The door shut behind them.

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Sasuke leaned against the wall in the corner of the room they were in. From this point, he could see everyone—from Sakura sitting by the window, to the seven guards posted around the room.

By their masked faces, he guessed they were the ANBU or the equivalent of.

None of the members of team seven had ventured into the other areas of the fourth floor. They all shared the unspoken thought that separation was undesirable. If one of them turned up dead, it was doubted that anyone would make much of a fuss.

The Uchiha kept his gaze moving.

In his mind, he noted every motion of the guards, every change, every slight movement they made.

And just as he had thought, a familiar face appeared.

The hooded and masked shinobi returned his cool gaze. He walked out into the hallway, turning down the hall to where Sasuke could no longer see him.

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Sakura sat up and rubbed her eyes.

It was dark outside. They had been in that room for hours.

She glanced around. The rest of the team was all out sleeping or resting quietly. Saruwatari was snoring quietly in a corner chair. Naruto was on the floor, a long stream of drool pooling beneath his head.

She looked over at the corner.

Sasuke was still standing, but his eyes were closed.

_Where are Jiraiaya and Kakashi?_

She stood and walked over to one of the guards.

"Excuse me, the other people I was with…where did they go?"

The ANBU masked figure did not respond.

She was about to walk away when someone else answered.

"They are with the Tsuchikage."

Sakura froze. She knew without turning around who was speaking to her. Instinctivly, her hands balled into fists. The strange feeling on the back of her neck had returned.

She started to walk away without acknowledging the speaker…

…when a hand grabbed her wrist cruelly.

She turned and looked down at where his fingers dug into her painfully throbbing arm.

"Let…go…of…me," She growled menacingly.

But it was not her voice that caused him to let go.

"Sakura-chan said to let go," came an even more deadly whisper.

Ice colored eyes met angry red ones.

"Sharingan!" The ninja hissed. He backed away. "This is most interesting."

Sakura took the moment to heal her injured wrist.

"Hmm. Two secrets revealed." The hooded figure watched calmly. "Most interesting."

"Sakura," Sasuke said without looking at her. "Go back over by Naruto."

"Saskue-kun I can…"

"Go!" His tone left no room for argument.

The rock ninja watched her go and then smiled at Sasuke.

The Uchiha turned to follow her.

"It is good of you to protect the weak."

Sasuke didn't break stride as he replied quietly. "Sakura could kill you quicker than I. Perhaps it was you I was protecting."

He didn't bother glancing back. He knew the rock shinobi was thinking hard about what he had said.

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Naruto stood proudly in front of the Tsuchikage.

The man raised an eyebrow at him. "Well? What you tell me now will decide what I do with you."

The blond remained oddly silent.

"Naruto, Kakashi and Jiraiya have already asked me for passage through this country. But they failed to tell me why. I am less inclined to kill you, if I know what you are about."

"We're trying to stop Akatsuki."

Rokuku frowned. "Akatsuki?" His eyes narrowed. "A most vile of organizations. One of our own defected there a while back. Diedara…"

"The guy with the mouths in his hands?" Naruto piped up. "We've already gotten him."

The Kage's brow furrowed. "Gotten him?"

"Yeah, we fought him a few months back, in Orochimaru's old lair. Kakashi and I fought against him before Yamato killed him."

"Orochimaru?" Rokuku leaned forward in his chair. "I had heard he was defeated. There is more to this story than you and your friends have let on."

Naruto shrugged. "We're just trying to stop Akatsuki from taking over the world."

"Their statue?"

The kyuubi youth nodded.

"Hmmm. I have heard the stories about it." He gestured to the map on the table. "I have been increasing our military forces because of it. But even I have little faith in our abilities against the power of a collection of tailed-demons."

"That's why you have to let us through!" Naruto pointed to The Land of Fire on the map. "Our Hokage sent us to find the remaining tailed-beasts, to see if we can't use their powers to fight against Akatsuki!"

Rokuku looked at him in mild surprise. _So that was it? He didn't keep their plan secret for long._

"Naruto. Now that I know this, what makes you think I would want Konoha to have the control of all the remaining creatures? In my eyes, what would stop Tsunade from taking over countries just like Akatsuki?"

"She wouldn't do that!" Naruto crossed his arms. "And I give you my word as future Hokage that we only want the bijuu to help protect everyone!"

The Tsuchikage gave him an appraising look. _Leaf's Yellow Flash_ He shook his head_. Doesn't know his parents indeed!_

"Badejiru," He called out. "Come in here."

The door opened and the Tsuchikage's son stepped in.

"Remove your mask and hood, boy."

Naruto watched as the shinobi looked questioningly at his father but reached up and pulled the cloth away.

He found himself looking at a young man his own age. Grey hair spiked away from his head, a black streak running down the center.

Beneath ice-blue eyes, his smile showed irregularly sharp teeth.

"Show him," Rokuku said.

"But…"

"I said show him!"

Badejiru let out a guttural growl and Naruto watched in awe as long chakra claws appeared from each of his fingers.

"Second stage," The Kage said quietly.

Badejiru growled again, seeming somewhat pained by the effort.

His eyes blazed with cold fire and a burning blue tail appeared.

Rokuku looked sadly at his son. "Enough."

He returned to his original state, clearly drained by the transformation.

Naruto saw a hint of hatred in the young man's eyes.

"Now you know," The Tsuchikage said. "I assume this is what you came for."

Naruto looked at them in confusion.

"My son is part Kaku—the seven-tails."

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**Coming soon: Chapter 19: Like Father Not Like Son**


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Hey! I do NOT own Naruto.

**Author's note**: In order to understand this chapter properly—you need to be aware of the mange chapter where Sasuke suppresses the kyuubi's chakra. I believe it is somewhere around manga chapter 307-308. Anyway…post time-skip Sasuke has the ability to completely suppress the fox's power.

**Chapter 19: Like Father Not Like Son**

"W-what!?!" Naruto stared at him in shock. "What do you mean 'part Kaku'?"

The Tsuchikage waved his hand dismissively. "You misunderstand. By being part Kaku, I simply mean that he is the creature's host—and therefore the demon is a part of him."

"Then you'll help us!" Naruto exclaimed. "You've already got the power, so just agree to come and fight alongside Konoha!"

Both father and son chuckled.

"While I admire your spirit, you are terribly naive. Iwagakure and your country have been long time enemies. I fail to see why that should change merely by the will of a teenage boy."

"Why wouldn't you help us?" The blond ground his teeth in anger. "Akatsuki won't stop with just Fire Country! They'll come here too!"

"That may be," Rokuku said. "But I would rather take my chances with my own country's power than to hand it all over to you."

Naruto looked over at Badejiru. "Don't you have anything to say about this? You are your own person, you know!"

The seven-tail host glared at him. "I fight for myself and for no other."

_Damn it! He sounds just like Gaara did…_

And Naruto could see the same murderous rage in his eyes.

"What my son wants make little difference either way. I am the Tsuchikage and he will obey my orders." Rokuku frowned. "I admire your fierce loyalty and for that I will let you and your teammates go. Join us for your evening meal and then be on your way at dawn."

"But…"

The Kage waved him away. "You will leave here only with what you came with and nothing more."

Squaring his shoulders, Naruto left the office, an escort taking him back to his friends.

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"Badejiru,"

The grey-haired youth looked up.

"Go. Watch them. If you can pry more information from them, do so."

"I have already learned some interesting things, Tsuchikage."

"Such as?"

"A sharingan user is with them. And one appears to be a medic as well."

The Kage leaned back in his chair. "I would expect no less for a mission like this. You disappoint me. Come back when you have found out something useful."

He swiveled in the chair, his back to his son.

Staring at his father a moment longer, Badejiru left. Behind, he left a blood smear on the door—a testament to when he had, in anger, dug his nails into the palms of his hands.

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Sakura supported Saruwatari as the old woman climbed the last of the stairs.

"Ah," she said. "At last, open sky. Maybe if I squint I can see the rain clouds of my own country."

They leaned on the railing.

Sakura wasn't impressed with the view. With rock on three sides of her, the small exposed space on the roof of the palace barely left enough room to see over the tree tops. It did, however, provide an interesting view of the city.

She glanced around behind her.

Even though they were told they were now free to roam about the entire building without watch, Sakura knew without a doubt that somewhere someone as keeping an eye on them.

She glanced down at the old woman's hands.

Normally, Saruwatari hid them under her long sleeves. But, at the moment, they gripped the railing, steadying the Raiju elder's frail form.

_That must be why she hides them_ The hands were not those of a woman, but those of a monkey, complete with thick knuckles covered in hair.

Sakura quickly looked away.

"Do not feel badly for me, Sakura. I have spent too many of my own years doing that." The wrinkled face smiled at her.

She smiled back and looked out at the rock city. "When do you suppose we can leave?"

Saruwatari opened her mouth to speak but she was interrupted.

"You'll leave by dawn tomorrow." The deep voice was not one of their teammates'.

"Eh?" The Raiju woman turned. "You again? I almost didn't recognize you without your get-up."

Badejiru shrugged. "There is no need to keep my identity hidden any longer."

Sakura continued to stare out at the town.

"Oh nonsense, boy." Saruwatari said. "I knew who you were the moment I saw you. You should give more credit to me than that. I'm not your average…"

Sakura placed a hand on the elder's arm, effectively silencing her.

_Interesting._ Badejiru's eyes narrowed.

He stepped up next to them at the railing.

"I want to apologize," he said, "for hurting you earlier."

Sakura fought the urge to increase the distance between them.

"Don't worry about it," she mumbled.

Saruwatari glanced from one of them to the other. Something was making her uneasy. She made a quick judgment call.

"Uh, Sakura, I will return shortly. There was something urgent I needed to ask Kakashi." She looked into the girl's emerald eyes. "I will be _right back_."

"I will help you down the stairs," The medic turned to go as well.

"I would talk with you a bit more, Sakura-san." Badejiru eyed them suspiciously. "I will have someone take the grandmother down the stairs."

"Bah!" Saruwatari scowled, shaking her fist. "I can manage fine on my own!" _I will hurry, Sakura._

The old form moved away with surprising speed.

As he turned back to the ledge, the Kaku youth noticed that Sakura had used his moment of distraction to move farther away from him on the balcony.

"Do I make you that uneasy?" He closed the distance between them again.

"There was something you wanted to speak with me about."

He regarded her with interest. Her expression was not one of fear—rather one of annoyance. But she was not being outwardly rude.

"Yes. Perhaps you'll walk with me…"

She shook her head. "Saruwatari will expect me to be waiting for her here."

"I will warn you, Sakura. My patience with you is thin to begin with. If you do not indulge me, then I won't hesitate to snap your pretty neck."

It did not get him the reaction he had anticipated.

He watched as she leaned out over the railing and punched a nearby pillar.

She had barely touched it, yet a large crack appeared.

"Threaten me again, and I will bring down this entire cavern."

He bowed respectfully, backing away. "I underestimated you. But…" He suddenly appeared next to her. "…You have also underestimated me!"

Sakura froze as a razor sharp claw touched her neck.

"I was trying to be nice to you." He sighed. "But I guess you'll have to answer my questions the hard way."

"You might as well kill me," She whispered. "You've done nothing but bother me since the beginning."

He chuckled. "Believe me when I say I want to kill you. But also believe me when I say it is not for the reason you think."

"So you're not just a monster?"

His eyes narrowed, the nail pressed to her throat drew blood. "I am a monster. Make no mistake about that. But I am a monster who has questions that need to be answered."

"I won't tell you anything."

He stared into her angry eyes, hating her more and more as his will to kill her lessened. This was why his father had killed his mother.

This strange effect women had on men.

The strange way he couldn't get her out of his mind.

Badejiru's eyes widened. He cast a glance behind him.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto was racing towards them.

But it was the blood red gaze of Sasuke that held the other youth in place.

"I won't tell you again," The Uchiha's voice was calm. "Release her."

Badejiru caught a glimpse of Saruwatari on the stairwell.

_Clever old woman._

"It is not worth it." He called to them. "Leave here before I kill you too."

Naruto watched a small drop of Sakura's blood fall from her throat to the ground.

His blue eyes narrowed, his fists tightening. A low growl came from his throat.

"Sasuke," he said, "you can suppress the fox if I get too carried away right?"

"Naruto…"

"Right!?!"

Sasuke nodded. "But I would have to enter your mind again. So try not to let it get to that point."

A red chakra appeared, surrounding Naruto. The fox grinned evilly from beneath his face.

Sasuke's own chidori flowed around him like a cloak of lightening.

Badejiru grinned. "Well, well. What better to take care of a bijuu than another bijuu?"

He tossed Sakura to the side, transforming into his second stage.

His icy eyes glowed menacingly. "I am waiting," He growled.

They barreled toward each other.

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"Tell me, sannin, what do you plan to do now that I have turned you away?"

Jiraiya and Kakashi glanced at each other.

"We will go on and do our best to find a way to oppose Akatsuki." He replied.

"Well then wh—"

The palace trembled beneath them

"What the hell!" Rokuku stood, looking out the window.

Nothing within the town seemed awry.

Suddenly, the door burst open.

"Tsuchikage, sir!" The breathless ninja leaned on the frame. "The roof! A battle on the roof!"

The Kage's gaze darkened. "Is my son involved?"

The shinobi seemed afraid to answer, but nodded his head.

"Gentlemen," he turned to them, "Please accompany me to the top of this building."

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Naruto, Sasuke and Badejiru stood, locked together in combat. Naruto's single red tail whipped back and forth as the burning red chakra clashed with the brown chakra of the Kaku. On the opposite side of their opponent, Sasuke's hand was meshed in a battle of strength with Badejiru's, his chidori cutting through the thicker chakra of his enemy.

Two tails waved wickedly behind the Kaku host.

"Once I kill you two," Badejiru growled, "I'll kill your friends!"

Naruto's rage deepened and a second tail began to emerge.

"You won't touch any of them!"

Sasuke concentrated. His chidori current wasn't working well against the earth chakra. Where he cut away, it molded back together.

The connection broke, all three jumping away from each other.

"Sasuke," Naruto's voice sounded strange. "I'll need your help for this."

The Uchiha looked at his friend. "Naruto…we've never tried this before. I don't know what I will do."

"Just do it." The kyuubi's blue eyes glinted dangerously. "We must save Sakura-chan no matter what."

Sasuke looked over at where Sakura lay, still unconscious from being tossed aside.

"Alright, Naruto."

And so Naruto reached in deeper into his subconscious…

…the gates appeared…

…before him loomed the demon fox…

…but he was not alone…

…Sasuke stood beside him…

…and the fox's smile disappeared…

…"you will lend me more power—now."…

…it was command and not a request…

Badejiru watched with hostile interest as Sasuke's expression became distant and Naruto's became more sinister.

Soon, two more tails had emerged and the young man that had stood before him had vanished.

_The nine-tailed fox!_ The Kage's son hadn't known just what other demon he was facing.

Something within him snarled with rage.

He had never gone into the third stage of his transformation, but seeing the fourth stage of Naruto's increased his confidence.

Badejiru let go of some of his control.

That which he had always kept tightly leashed within him raged to be let free.

He felt himself change.

His third tail had appeared when his father, Kakashi, and Jiraiya appeared on the roof.

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_Naruto, no!_ Kakashi's eye was wide in shock.

Rokuku looked at them. "My God," He whispered. "Why didn't you tell me Naruto was the nine-tails?"

Neither one answered him.

"He's in the fourth stage," Jiraiya was alarmed. "He is no longer Naruto. Here, in this stage, he could kill us all."

_Sasuke._ The copy nin looked at him. _Why is Sasuke just standing there?_

"Badejiru!" The Tsuchikage yelled angrily. "Stop this at once! You worthless boy! All the trouble you've caused!"

He began walking towards his son.

"No!" Kakashi reached for him, but the Kage pulled away.

"I said enough!"

Badejiru watched calmly as his father approached.

With every step, his own hatred increased.

Memories flashed through his mind.

_Mother. Mother why are you smiling?_

And there was his father, mere steps away.

_His mother, lifeless at her funeral. And he could remember his father's voice in his head. "Women make us weak. They cloud the vision of the future That is why your mother died."_

"You killed her!" His massive clawed hand reached out, grabbing Rokuku by the throat.

The Kage didn't struggle against his son.

Badejiru felt his last grip on control slipping. "You made me into this monster!" His claws clenched tighter. "I didn't have to be this way!"

The Kaku was consuming him, but he glanced fleetingly at Sakura, then to Naruto and Sasuke. The four-tailed fox was not advancing.

A scream of rage tore from Badejiru's throat.

Blood gurgled out of Rokuku's mouth.

But just as everyone on the roof thought he would kill the Kage, his fourth tail vanished. And he dropped to his knees.

Sakura stood over him, her hand balled into a fist.

"You bastard,"

She had hit him from behind.

It wasn't much, but it had restored some control to the young man.

Badejiru dropped his hold on his father, cradling his head in his hands.

One by one, the tails disappeared until only the man remained.

Beyond fatigued, the form of Badejiru collapsed on the ground.

Kakashi watched as Naruto began his downward transitions from four-tail state. Once he reached two tails, Sasuke appeared to have snapped back into reality.

_What is going on here?_ The former ANBU member looked at them. He had heard that Sasuke had once suppressed the kyuubi's chakra. _Could they have…used it to their advantage?_

He and Jiraiya raced over to them. Even though Naruto's transformation had seemed controlled, he was still unconscious and badly injured.

Sasuke helped an unsteady Sakura over to their blond teammate.

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Badejiru watched through pain filled eyes.

He lay on the cold stone…

…and watched.

Sakura closed her eyes, placing her hands on Naruto's chest. Slowly, he could see her power healing the young man.

Badejiru looked at Sasuke. The Uchiha held onto Sakura with one arm, supporting her as she healed their teammate.

But it was how Sasuke was looking at Sakura that caught the Kaku youth's attention.

_That is how it should be. Not like this. _

_She deserves him and his feelings. I would have only brought her to her death._

The realization was a cruel one.

And then something happened he had not expected.

He watched as Sakura crawled over to him.

"Lay still," She whispered, placing her hands on him.

He swallowed painfully.

_Even now, she can only care._

He had never encountered someone so incapable of hate.

He reached up painfully and touched her hand.

"Thank you."

He even smiled, closing his eyes as he saw Sasuke kneel down next to her.

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**Coming soon: Chapter 20: Leaving Empty Handed**


	20. Chapter 20

…Alas, Naruto, I know thee well, but ye are not mine…

**Chapter 20: Leaving Empty Handed**

Kakashi stood over the young man's hospital bed.

His eye regarded Badejiru lazily.

"I am sure you'll be glad to know the Tsuchikage will live."

Strange ice-blue eyes looked up at him. "A monster I may be, but my father has done more evil than I can even imagine."

"That is the way for Kages." Kakashi said. "Sometimes what they do for the good of everyone is not what they should have done at all."

The boy laughed painfully. "A person who kills someone they love cannot be excused by their title."

Kakashi didn't reply. He couldn't be sure who Badejiru was referring to, but he had a good idea.

The copy nin heard a creak behind him.

_How long had Sasuke been standing there?_

The Uchiha approached them.

He looked coolly down at the other young man.

Kakashi bowed. "Goodbye, Badejiru. Perhaps we can meet again in the future, under better circumstances."

Sitting up, the Kaku host bowed as well.

Kakashi left the room.

"You wanted to see me?" Sasuke's gaze pierced into him.

"There is something I need to know."

"Hn. So you brought me here to waste my time?"

The Kage's son returned his frigid stare.

Sasuke turned to leave.

"Sasuke…Do you …love her?"

The Uchiha froze in his tracks. He hadn't considered _that_ as the source of Badejiru's hostility toward Sakura.

He turned back to the bed.

The other young man was looking down at his hands. "I want to know if that is truly what I saw." He looked at the sharingan user. "Because I have never seen it before."

"Is that why you attacked Sakura? Because you _like_ her!?!"

"I don't know why." Badejiru shook his head. "That is why I need to know your answer to my question."

Sasuke was silent. He should have been angry. But, instead, he felt oddly sorry for the man before him.

He turned and walked to the door.

But before he walked out, he quietly said, "Yes. And if you ever try to harm her again, I will kill you."

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"There is no changing your mind?

Rokuku shook his head. "My decision stands. Earth Country will not join with you."

Jiraiya's face was expressionless. "It bothers you that Naruto is the nine-tails."

"Konoha is already too powerful for my liking," The Kage replied. "I would not leave myself defenseless against Akatsuki or the other countries."

"And Badejiru? He will not come of his own will?"

"He is my son, and he will respect my order."

"He is a son who clearly hates you." The sannin said. "Perhaps you are not protecting yourself as well as you think."

He looked at the man's heavily bandaged neck.

"Jiraiya, I wish you and your teammates luck. But that is all I wish you. Know that we do not part this place as friends."

The Toad Sage nodded. "We have stayed past dawn anyhow. It is time we left."

The two men bowed respectively, and went their separate ways.

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Team 7 was quiet as they left the city, each brooding on their own thoughts.

Not even Naruto wanted to break the silence.

Sakura looked over her shoulder at the slowly shrinking hidden village. _Can we do this without the seven-tails?_ She looked up at Naruto.

He never failed to surprise them, just like he had done yesterday on the roof. She smiled to herself.

Naruto would find a way.

The blond saw her looking at him and grinned. Her own smile widened.

Yes, if anyone could, Naruto would find a way.

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Saruwatari yawned, pulling off a layer of her long cloak.

Spreading it gently on the ground, she eased her body onto it, almost half asleep before her head hit the cushion.

"Sakura, you should sleep." She yawned again. "We're almost to the border of Earth country." Another yawn.

"I will," The pink-haired medic walked by. She smiled as the old Raiju woman began snoring softly.

A few feet away Sasuke rolled his eyes. "As if Naruto isn't bad enough," He growled, sitting back against a rock. "At least the rest of you are somewhat quiet."

Sakura sat down next to him. "Sasuke-kun, we can't all be as prefect as you."

"Hn."

He frowned, not knowing if she was joking or not.

"Perhaps we should take a moment to discuss the next part of our mission." Kakashi tossed his own pack onto the ground. "From here on out, the danger increases substantially."

Jiraiya nodded. "Hachimata is an unsealed demon. We should assume that conversation with her is out of the question—at first."

"At first?"

The sannin nodded at Naruto's question. "I think the best way will be to stay on the defensive. More than likely, she'll attack without asking questions. If we can wear her down enough…stay alive long enough…it might promote her interest."

"Seems like we're putting a lot of faith in the fact that she will bother with us at all." Sasuke said. "Are we going to have to entice her to fight?"

"It's unlikely. Both Hachimata and the Kyuubi loath humans. Even if she doesn't see us as a threat, she will want to kill us."

"Naruto, Sasuke," Kakashi looked at them. "That move you pulled on the roof the other day… what exactly were you doing?"

"I asked Sasuke to enter my mind and suppress the demon fox enough so that he wouldn't take over me completely." Naruto explained. "It allowed me to change, but I still had some of my own thoughts to fall back on."

"Some of them?" Jiraiya looked puzzled.

The blond nodded. "I don't remember everything, but I was still in control."

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully.

He turned to Jiraiya. "Do you think Naruto could achieve another tail with Sasuke's help?"

The sannin frowned. "Perhaps. But it's a high risk. What I've seen of four tails is bad enough. If we lost control of him with five… he might even die."

Saruwatari sat up. "Hmph. What a foolish idea. You are forgetting that Naruto is not the only bijuu here."

"We thought you were sleeping," Sasuke looked at her. "It sure sounded like it."

She looked at him indignantly. "Who could sleep with you all yammering over there. Besides, clearly my input is needed before you all go and do something foolish."

"But Saruwatari," Sakura said. "You said yourself that your hold over the Raiju is not very good. If you were to transform you might completely lose control."

"I don't need to transform to still be powerful. You assume that because Naruto wasn't trained to use the Kyuubi, that I do not have access to the Raiju. This is not the case. As a shinobi, I was specifically trained to tap into that power without changing. As I demonstrated when we first met."

"You think that along with Naruto you can help keep Hachimata busy?"

She shrugged. "It's worth a shot. We may all end up dead, who's to say."

Naruto almost choked on the bread he was eating. "Hey! Speak for yourself!"

"Alright," Kakashi stood. "Let's get some rest. The Land of the Waterfall is the last stage of our journey. We should all be ready."

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Itachi smiled to himself as they walked away.

_That could have been much, much worse._

He cradled his injured arm. It did not cause him much concern.

"Kisame, let's find a good spot to watch. I think I'm going to enjoy this."

The blue man smiled.

"It should be a first-rate show."

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**Coming soon: Chapter 21: Behind the Waterfall**


	21. Chapter 21

Nay, Naruto mine he is not.

**Author's note:** This chapter was done yesterday, but for some reason fanfiction would not let me upload it. Sorry for the wait!

**Chapter 21: Behind the Waterfall**

"Sakura, I was wondering if I might have a word with you."

The young woman looked up in surprise. "Uh, sure."

She looked questioningly at Kakashi but the copy nin shrugged.

Jiraiya smiled. "Let's take a walk, you and I."

They skimmed through the giant tree tops, all the while not speaking. When at last the sannin stopped on a high branch, Sakura was able to see a massive waterfall on the far reaches of the horizon.

Jiraiya noticed her gaze.

"Behind that waterfall lies the hidden village of this country, Takigakure."

"I had no idea it was so huge."

He chuckled. "It really is an impressive sight. The people here are very proud of it."

After a few moments, the Toad Sage's expression grew somber. "Sakura," he said. "There is something I want to talk to you about."

"Hmm?"

"This is something important—something not even Kakashi is aware of."

Her green eyes turned to him.

"I have a favor to ask of you." He looked back out at the setting sun. "But let me explain a few things first."

He took a deep breath.

"The chance of us being able to make civilized contact with the eight-tails is extremely low. Even if we manage to get her to speak with us, it is unlikely that she will be willing to listen to what we have to say. I do not hold any hope for bringing her back to Konoha in her current state."

"But…but what about all the planning we did back at camp? With Naruto and Saruwatari?" Her eyes narrowed. "Why would you get their hopes up like that?"

Jiraiya looked at her sadly. "It was something the Hokage and I had planned on from the beginning. Tsunade and I knew the likelihood of simply convincing the demon was very low…so we devised a back up plan."

"Back up plan?"

He nodded. "I will seal Hachimata if she is not able to be bargained with."

Sakura was so shocked she didn't know what to say. _Seal the demon? But that means…_

"Jiraiya-sama! You cannot give up your own life!"

"It is my life, and therefore mine to do with as I wish." He said gruffly. "Death comes to all ninja. It is the way of things. I would have my death be in service to protect those I care about."

"The others would never let you! There is another way! We'll find another way…"

He shook his head. "I hope as much as you, Sakura, that we do not have to do this. But…that is not what I brought you here for."

"Then…"

He would not meet her eyes. "With your excellent chakra control and your ability to use it with such precision… Tsunade and I decided there would be no better candidate for the host than—you."

The healer's eyes went wide. She stared at him, stunned.

"I would, of course, not do this without your consent. And I know it is something you will need to think about."

Sakura remained silent.

Jiraiya glanced at her. "And you cannot tell the others. There would be no way they would let you go through with it."

"You…you want me to lie to them?"

"No. Just don't volunteer the information. The risks of this sealing are higher than most. The majority are done when the host is an infant and the body is able to grow and adjust to the power inside of it. Since you are older…"

His voice trailed off.

"Are you saying I could die?!"

He sighed. "As I said, the risks are higher."

"I don't even know what to say," She shook her head in disbelief. "How can you ask such a thing of me?"

"I would not ask you at all. I have watched you grow and become strong. I would never want to ask such a thing of someone I consider my friend and comrade. But…I _would_ ask this of a fellow shinobi…one who wants to protect the ones she loves."

_Sasuke. Naruto._

Sakura bowed her head. "If I refuse?"

He shrugged. "Then we do what we can and hope for the best. No one would hold it against you."

"How long do I have to decide?"

"I would have your answer in the next few days. It won't take long to locate Hachimata. There are only so many places an enormous creature like her can hide."

She nodded. "I will think on it."

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Naruto looked at Sakura , his expression one of concern.

"Sakura-chan," He walked next to her. "Are you alright?"

She smiled at him. But Naruto had seen her smile enough times before to know that her heart was not in this one.

"I'm fine, Naruto. I'm just tired."

"Don't over do it! Do you need to rest? I'm sure we can stop for a while…"

"No, really. I am fine. Thank you."

He flashed her one of his famous smiles. "Okay, Sakura-chan. I'd do anything for you, just let me know!"

She sighed, watching as he raced off to the front of the group.

_Naruto. _He really would do anything for her.

She looked at the ground. It certainly didn't make her decision any easier.

"Alright team," Kakashi stopped. "Everyone hold up for a while. Let's plan our next step."

They clustered together.

"Ahead is the main river that cuts through this country." The former ANBU captain said. "The river branches at three separate points."

He drew a primitive map in the dirt.

"Here. Here. And here. Now, these first two forks lead into populated areas. But this last one," He tapped the spot on the ground. "This one leads deep into a forested area. Rumor has it that there are many ravines, waterfalls and caverns along the river bed."

"Hmph. It would have to be a big waterfall to hide a dragon." Saruwatari raised her eyebrow. "Almost as big as that main one we keep seeing hints of."

Kakashi nodded. "There is another sizable waterfall somewhere within the heart of the forest. It is our best chance."

…"_our best chance"…_

His words played themselves over and over again in Sakura's mind.

"Sakura."

She looked up, realizing that everyone was staring at her.

"Everything alright?" Kakashi's gaze studied her.

"Oh. Yeah." She waved her hand in apology. "Sorry."

"Hmm. Maybe we should make camp here tonight." The copy nin continued to watch her.

"I'm fine really!" She straightened. "There's still some daylight left, we should…"

No arguments. Kakashi pulled out his worn book. He turned away from her, reading as he walked away.

She frowned and opened her mouth to respond but decided against it. If anything, everyone was grateful for the early stop.

Sakura tossed her pack next to the base of a tree, leaping up onto one of its branches. She glanced down at everyone before climbing higher into the tree.

Sasuke watched her go.

He looked over at Jiraiya. The Toad Sage was discussing something with Saruwatari. He seemed completely unconcerned.

_Why has Sakura been so quiet since she spoke with Jiraiya?_ He stared back up into the tree. _It's not like her to want to be by herself._

Tossing his own belongings to the side, he jumped up into the tree after her.

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Sakura stared out at the landscape from the topmost branches of the tree. It was a calm evening and she could hear the distant sound of a waterfall roaring.

Not far away, she could see where the river cut through the valley. Its dark water sparkled where she could see it and even when it disappeared, she could mark its sunken path through the country.

"_I'd do anything for you!"_

She hung her head.

Naruto had sacrificed his life for her so many times she couldnt even count them. And he had done it without a second thought.

She owed him no less.

She owed it to all of them.

"Sakura."

She pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. She didn't turn around. "Hm?"

Sasuke walked over and sat down near her. He looked at her, his face expressionless. "Why did you go off alone?"

She smiled bitterly. Sasuke always pointed out what she did wrong.

"This tree is in the center of camp." She replied.

"Hn. A poor excuse."

_Even after all this time, Sasuke is still so cold._

Her eyes misted over.

It was things like this that made her realize how foolish she had been as a child.

She swallowed hard.

And even now, she would still do anything for him.

If he knew she could die in the next few days, would he even have cared? Or would he have just looked at her with his emotionless expression and walked away?

He had walked away from her once. She didn't doubt he'd do it a second time.

She might die, but she wouldn't put her heart out on the line again. At least she would die with some dignity.

Sasuke saw the tears slide silently down her cheeks.

On an impulse he almost went to wipe them away, but before he could move, she turned to him, her eyes unforgiving.

"Sasuke-kun," She whispered. "I want you to know something."

The Uchiha's guard went up. She was going to tell him how she felt. But he wasn't prepared to explain his feelings for her. He didn't know if he even knew the words to express them. Inside he was on the verge of panic.

And he only knew one way to deal with panic like that.

His expression darkened.

"Why do you always ruin nice moments by talking so much?"

Her mouth fell open slightly as she looked at him in disbelief.

A final tear slid down her cheek.

She stood, her arm steadying her form against the trunk of the tree.

"I wanted you to know…what I wanted you to know…" Sakura closed her eyes. "Was that I never lost faith in you."

When she opened her emerald eyes again, she didn't look at him. "And I was going to ask that you have the same faith in me during the coming days."

Sasuke felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. She hadn't said what he thought she was going to say.

"Sakura, I—"

She shook her head. "No, Sasuke-kun. Please. I would rather have you hit me in the face then have you say anything else."

She jumped onto the branch below him.

"I think it would hurt much less."

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The next day, as team 7 made their way along the furthest fork in the great river, Sakura stepped to Jiraiya's side.

The sannin looked down at her.

She nodded to him, her eyes weary, knowing that he knew what she was referring to.

Jiraiya smiled at her sadly and nodded back. He patted her shoulder reassuringly.

Sakura slowed a bit, settling into her own pace.

_At least now you'll be of value to someone._

But she looked at Naruto, knowing that she was already important to him. The thought cheered her and gave her new resolve. If she could protect Naruto by doing this, it was well worth it.

_Sasuke._

She glanced over at the Uchiha.

She looked away when he caught her stare, her face an unreadable mask.

She would do it for Sasuke too.

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The roar of the waterfall was deafening as they climbed cautiously on the rocks at its base.

The way was slippery and treacherous, but as they neared the plummeting water, a dark passage could be seen behind it.

Naruto shivered. The air coming from within was cold and the mist made his skin clammy. It reminded him of Thunder Country.

As they disappeared behind the waterfall, two sets of eyes watched them from the rim of the gorge.

"Soon," Itachi whispered. "Very soon."

In the background, a mouth full of razor teeth smiled.

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**Coming soon: Chapter 22: Hachimata**


	22. Chapter 22

I do not own Naruto. If there is a better way to say that, I have not found it.

**Chapter 22: Hachimata**

Kakashi paused, halting the rest of the team. Something was not right.

He glanced around the cavern passage. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Most of the rock was smooth from years of running water—leaving few, if any, areas for anything to hide. Behind them, the steady roar of water prevented proper communication.

A warm puff of air blew water droplets onto his face.

_Wait…_

…_warm…?_

The copy nin's eye went wide.

He turned around. "Everyone back outside!" But his voice was drowned out in the background.

He saw Naruto's mouth form the word, "What?"

But it was already too late.

Kakashi started running back towards the entrance, hoping that the rest of the team would take his lead.

A vibration coursed through the rock around them.

Even as they turned to run, it felt as if all the air around them was being sucked backward into the dark cave.

Kakashi could see the falling water at the entrance now.

_A little further…_

Just as swiftly as the air had been drawn in, something forced it back out. It barreled toward them, a warm ball of pressure, lifting them off their feet and sending them crashing through the waterfall and out into the gorge beyond.

The silver-haired shinobi found himself flung into a pool of water some hundred meters away. His body hit the water cruelly before he used his chakra to bring himself back up to the top.

He glanced around.

Jiriaya sat atop a large toad, the creature perched carefully atop a large bolder nearby. The sannin appeared unharmed, if not just a tad bit wet.

Naruto and Sakura were helping Saruwatari gain her feet as a disheveled Sasuke stood nearby.

A low rumbling laughter mixed with the sound of rushing water.

Kakashi looked toward the waterfall. His hand went up to his head and he uncovered his sharingan.

"Ahhhh" The rich female voice filled the air around them. "So you have finally arrived!"

A large, lizard-like head emerged from the center of the waterfall.

Kakashi stared in amazement. He knew little about Hachimata, and what he had heard didn't do the creature justice.

Shades of green gave the fierce some dragon face a strange leafy effect. And the more the head moved from side to side, the more the copy nin thought it looked to be completely made of vegetation. Only the eyes revealed the beast's true nature.

Brilliant red, they narrowed in triumph.

Hachimata chuckled some more—stepping out from the water.

Seven more heads appeared.

And behind the massive body, flicked eight tails.

"They were right!" Her voice boomed off the walls of the gorge. "You have come just as they said you would!" Her claws crushed the rocks beneath her. "You will not destroy me so easily!"

Again, Kakashi felt the sensation of vanishing air. He saw the dragon's chest expand.

The members of team seven hurtled themselves into the water.

It wasn't a moment too soon, as the air around them erupted into flame.

Sakura held her breath and tried to keep herself submerged as long as possible. Above her, she could see the orange glow of flames.

She kept treading water, forcing her body to stay under even though her lungs were aching. Her eyes strained to see through the water. Beside her, she could see Naruto and Saruwatari. They looked over at her.

_At least they're okay._

Her expression hardened with resolve.

_Jiraiya._

Sakura shot to the surface of the water. She sucked in gulps of air, her eyes searching the area around her.

The Toad Sage was on the other side of the river. He caught her eyes.

A look passed between them.

Sakura nodded. She needed to find a way to get close to him.

"Sasuke-kun," Her voice, though barely audible, snapped the Uchiha's attention to her. "Sasuke-kun, watch my back."

"Sakura!" He couldn't move quick enough to stop her.

The medic leapt from boulder to boulder, racing across the river expanse. On his own side, Jiraiya was closing the distance between them.

A claw shot out.

Suddenly, a wall of water flew up in front of Sakura as the dragon slammed her clawed hand down into the current.

Sakura and Jiraiya were thrown back.

"Do you think I'm a fool?" Hachimata snarled. "Do you think I don't know there is only one way to kill me?"

Naruto grabbed Sakura, hauling her back over to the rocks. "Sakura-chan?" He looked at her questioningly.

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand but didn't say anything.

Naruto looked up at the dragon, his eyes dangerously angry.

"You leave Sakura-chan alone!" He growled. "I'll fight you!"

Kakashi covered his ears as the demon laughed.

"Fight _me_! You foolish boy!" A head leaned in closer to him. "Ohhhh so it _is_ you!"

She blew a breath of hot air into Naruto's face.

"Well Kyuubi, do you think you can beat me now? Like this?"

"I'll beat you anywhere, anytime." His blue eyes stared into slitted red ones. "One way or another, you're coming back to Konoha with us!"

The head snaked back and the red eyes flicked momentarily up to the top of the cliff overlooking the gorge. All sixteen eyes narrowed.

"Back to Konoha?"

Naruto nodded. "We came here for your help. But this time, I'm not leaving empty handed!"

All eight heads snarled. "Someone here is lying. And I will find out whom."

Watching what was going on, Sakura felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Eh?" She turned around.

Jiraiya crouched behind the rock.

She looked back over at the opposite side of the river. A similar form of the sannin sat

motionless.

Sakura's green eyes widened. _A clone!_

She leaned back so she could hear him.

"Sakura, with all of us in this close of proximity, I can begin the sealing. Are you ready?"

She nodded, her heart thrumming inside of her chest.

He reached out and drew a small line of blood onto her arm.

Jiraiya moved further behind the protection of the rock. He concentrated, his hands performing the complex seals. It was not a simple jutsu. The seals he needed to make we long and complicated. If he missed one or got one wrong…

Sakura began to feel unsteady. The sound of Hachimata, the waterfall, and Naruto all began to blend together until all she could hear was a soft hum. Her eyes blurred and cleared, then blurred again. She knew it was just a matter of time before she was going to lose consciousness.

Naruto, Sasuke and Saruwatari were unaware of what was happening behind them. They all remained focused on the annoyed dragon.

Hachimata looked down at them again. "And _you_! The Raiju! Again, you think you can defeat me whie in the body of a host!?!"

"We don't want to defeat anyone!" Naruto called up to the monstrous head. "We came here for your help! Akatsuki is going to come here and try to trap you, or worse, destroy you! But we need your help to fight against them!"

A howl of rage echoed off the walls. "Akatsuki!"

The eyes glanced back up at the cliff.

"Akatsuki!"

The eight tails twitched angrily.

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Behind the cover of thick vegetation, Itachi pushed the kunai harder into the captive's back.

"Hurry," He whispered, though his voice was calm. He looked down at the thin line drawn on his own arm in blood.

"Kisame, is he doing the seals correctly?"

The shark man looked up from the scroll he was holding. He nodded.

Itachi turned back to the man.

They had captured him a day ago. A jounin from Takigakure.

Itachi lent the captive his own personal chakra as he pressed the weapon into the man's back. It would take all of the prisoner's chakra as well as a good portion of his own to complete the demon sealing jutsu.

After all, it did require the life of the seal-performer.

And now Hachimata was suspecting them.

They needed to finish this quickly.

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The dragon gnashed her teeth.

"Akatsuki! They told me a similar story about you!"

Naruto's eyes went wide. "They…they were here?! Then you defeated them?"

Again, the demon chuckled. She eyed him suspiciously. "They came to warn me about you, Kyuubi. I know about your plan to seal me in human form and then kill me. Do you think I'd be so foolish as to let you walk in here and do that!"

"What?!?"

"Foolish boy!"

Sasuke looked back as Sakura's unconscious form slumped against the rocks.

He jumped to her side. "Sakura!"

Behind the rock, Jiraiya was dripping sweat. He blocked out all other distractions, forming the seals one by one. Sakura was in the beginning of the transformation.

Naruto looked back at Sasuke and then up at the eight-tails. All the heads were looking around in confusion.

As he watched, the air around her began to shimmer, strange puffs of wispy smoke appearing around the massive creature. Her body was becoming transparent.

_What is going on?_

"Hachimata!" Naruto cried out as the demon stumbled backward.

Behind the rock, the young man's yelled pulled Jiraiya's eyes open, and the sannin looked up at the demon.

His jaw dropped.

_How…how can this be happening?_

Already feeling himself weakening, the Toad Sage squinted his eyes. Hachimata was already in the final stages of sealing…but…Sakura was still in the initial phase.

His brow furrowed and he scanned the cliffs around them.

He saw a black silhouette above.

_Shit!_

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Kisame snarled at Itachi.

"Get him back from the edge! He's out in plain view!"

The Uchiha pulled the man back. He had lost focus for a moment. The use of his chakra for such a powerful jutsu was taking its toll.

In his grasp, the waterfall shinobi was already slumping. He was almost done with the seals.

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"Naruto!" Jiraiya pulled himself out from behind the rock. "On the cliff!"

He pointed, too weak to do anything else. "Akatsuki! They're sealing the demon!"

Before he blacked out, he glanced over at Sakura.

She was still unconscious.

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Naruto, Sasuke, and Saruwatari looked up at the cliff.

Sasuke felt his heart stop for a moment.

_Itachi._

He and Naruto leapt up the side wall of the gorge, leaving Saruwatari next to Jiraiya and Sakura, a dismayed look on her face.

_Itachi._

He could feel his brother's presence.

At the top of the cliff, Sasuke and Naruto found themselves face to face with the Akatsuki.

The youngest Uchiha took in the situation quickly, noting the barely moving form of an unknown shinobi.

_They're using him to perform the seals! _He had seen that before. It was not uncommon to lend chakra to someone else while they preformed the jutsu itself. He even though Naruo had once done the technique with the frog boss.

_We have to get that guy away from them!_

But Naruto was already on it.

With no concern for his own person, the blond man threw himself between Itachi and the prisoner.

Free from his torture, the man fell to the ground. His hands were still.

_Shit_. Sasuke stared at him and then into the gorge below.

Hachimata was no where to be seen.

_Did he complete the jutsu?_

He looked up in horror. Then…

That would mean…someone was now a host…

Itachi…

His sharingan slowly turned to the standing form of his older brother.

But the Uchiha wobbled unsteadily, his shark-like partner fending off Naruto with a vicious looking sword.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

He'd kill his brother now, while he was in this weakened state. He couldn't allow him to access the power of the eight-tails.

Sasuke flooded Chakra to his hand. A brilliant blue fire appeared.

He stepped forward slowly.

But a thunderous cry split the air around them. Naruto and Sasuke jumped back as Hachimata erupted from within the waterfall, her eight tails smashing into the ledge on which they stood.

Both members of team seven plummeted towards the bottom of the river.

A clawed hand caught each of them, setting them down roughly next to the Raiju woman.

The dragon turned her attention once again to the smashed cliff.

With an intake of breath, she roasted the area, burning everything beyond recognition.

Naruto looked up as something fell towards the water.

A body.

It hit the surface with a splash, sinking into the current.

Jumping in quickly, he hauled the form over to the rocks and stared down at the face.

The unknown shinobi.

He was dead.

"Hachimata!" Naruto called. "Hachimata!"

The dragon stopped in her rage and looked down.

"Hachimata, stop!"

A head whipped down to him. "I am not used to being indebted to a human, little Kyuubi."

He grinned in relief.

"Tell me your name." The red eyes blinked.

Naruto puffed up his own chest. "Uzumaki Naruto! Future Hokage of Konoha!"

The gorge echoed with the demon's laughter.

"Well then, Uzumaki Naruto, I will let you live. But," the other heads looked around, "it seems my other 'friends' have escaped."

"Come help us! Fight for Konoha! You'll get to see those Akatsuki again."

"I fight for no one, little man." Her many faces grinned. "But I will allow you to explain the situation to me."

"Naruto," Kakashi's voice made the blond turn around.

His composure dropped when he saw the forms of Jiraiya and Sakura.

"Sakura-chan!" He knelt next to her. "What happened!"

Kakashi shook his head.

"We won't know until they wake up."

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**Chapter 23: Explanations, Return to Konoha**


	23. Chapter 23

Let's see…I own…my house…my pets…but I do NOT own Naruto

**Author's note: Why I didn't seal Hachimata inside of Sakura**: It's better for the story this way. Why?  
**#1**- I think it's important to have one of the unsealed demons remain that way. It would be too easy to just seal her away…and it's kinda unfair when you think about it—still just shinobis using them for their powers and all.  
**#2**-I didn't want to take the thunder away from Naruto. He is, after all, the one that's supposed to convince the demons to help them.  
**#3**-I think this would change Sakura's character too much in my story for her to remain true to her personality in the manga. And it would alienate her from Sasuke and the rest of the crew.

Also—I don't care if anyone else in the fanfiction world wants to use this idea. Have at it. Please, write a story better than mine. I do not mind at all…take the idea and run with it. It is "fanfiction" after all. And fanfiction of my fanfiction is still just fanfiction.

**Chapter 23: Explanations, Return to Konoha**

Jiraiya blinked.

He blinked again.

_Damn, why's it so bright?_

He leaned up on his elbows.

"Hey! Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto rushed over to the sannin. "Kakashi-sensei! He's awake!"

"Ughh" Jiraiya's hand went to his head. "Naruto, not so loud."

The young man knelt next to him. "Pervy old sage, are we glad to see you!"

Jiraiya looked from the face of his apprentice to the blasé features of Kakashi. Without a word to either of them, he took stock of his surroundings.

He was damp, despite of the warm fire Saruwatari sat and tended. All around him was stone, and in the background, though he could not see it, was the steady rush of the waterfall. Somewhere to his side, he could hear the rustling of another blanket.

_Sakura!_

"Sakura!" His eyes widened with fear. "Where's Sakura!"

"Here," Sasuke said. "Sakura's here."

Jiraiya turned.

Sakura lay under a mound of blankets. Her face was pale. Her eyes were closed. But, to the sannin's relief, her breathing maintained a long, deep rhythm. Sasuke sat beside her, legs crossed, chin resting on his hands. His eyes bore into Jiraiya.

"Sakura," he sighed. "Sakura, forgive me."

"Perhaps, you should explain to the rest of us, just what happened?" Kakashi's soft voice was cold.

Jiraiya sighed. "It was…a secondary plan." He looked up at Naruto's questioning eyes. "In case Hachimata attacked us straight out, or wouldn't listen to our story. Tsunade and I decided that if that was the case, as it probably would be, that I would—"

He looked away from Naruto.

"—seal the demon within Sakura."

"What!?!" Came the simultaneous cry from Kakashi, Sasuke and Naruto.

Before anyone could blink, the Uchiha was next to Jiraiya. He hit the sannin as hard as he could and the punch sent the freshly-conscious man across the floor of the cavern.

Everyone froze for a moment, stunned.

The Toad Sage stood, wiping away the blood from his nose. He had deserved that. Otherwise, he would have at least tried to block the punch. But it was best to let them get out their anger now.

"You bastard," Sasuke seethed. "You would have done that to Sakura?"

"Sasuke," Jiraiya frowned. "Sakura had given me her permission."

Everyone's eyes went wide.

"Now, hear me out," The sannin walked over and knelt next to the pink-haired medic. "Sakura did this for you—all of you. She agreed to it only after I told her it was the only way to save everyone. She knew the risks. She knew it might take her life, just as she knew it would certainly take mine."

"The sealing jutsu," Kakashi said. "The same jutsu the Fourth used."

Naruto's hand went absently to his stomach. The kyuubi seal. "Sakura-chan…she…she would go through that for us?"

Kakashi looked at where the young man's hand rested on his abdomen. _Naruto. Out of everyone, he understands the most. He knows how it feels to be viewed as a container and not a person. He knows what a sacrifice it would be to willingly take on that kind of isolation._

Jiraiya nodded. "Even though it might have taken her life, Sakura was willing to go through that on the chance that she could make a difference."

"So what happened?" Naruto asked. "How did the Akatsuki interfere?"

"Well, I had only started the seals when I noticed that Hachimata was feeling the effects much more than Sakura. The demon was much further along in the transformation than her intended host. I knew something strange was going on. After a moment, it dawned on me. Hachimata said Akatsuki had come and spoken with her, warning her that we were going to seal her and then kill her. As it turned out, that was what they were planning themselves. Sakura had already lost consciousness when I glanced up and saw a figure on the ledge above."

He placed a hand on the young woman's forehead.

"They must have started the sealing moments before I had."

"And you kept this from everyone?" Kakashi shook his head. "Foolish."

"Foolish? Maybe. But necessary. Would any of you have allowed Sakura to take such a risk? Would you have quietly stood by while I gave up my life to secure the sealing?"

At their downcast expressions he continued.

"The Fifth knows too well how close you all are. She knew that secrecy was the only way to go."

All the while, Saruwatari had been silent. Now, she walked over to Sakura and placed a warm wet cloth on the girl's forehead.

The Raiju woman stared them all down. "Nonsense! All nonsense! All you can do is be mad about the 'why' and you've lost track of the most important thing!" She gestured to the sleeping woman. "_I'll_ ask since no one else seems to care. Why hasn't Sakura awoken?"

Jiraiya cringed under her scrutiny. "I don't know. Normally when a jutsu isn't completed, it simply just doesn't happen. But a sealing is different. It is a series of motions that induce different stages. I…I've never heard of one being stopped halfway through."

They sat quietly for a while until the sannin looked up at Kakashi.

"So…Akatsuki have the eight-tails now?"

The copy nin rolled his eyes, knowing that his blond companion had by dying to tell the story.

Naruto grinned. "Pervy Sage! You slept through the exciting part!"

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Sakura shivered.

That was the first thing her mind acknowledged. She was cold.

To Sakura, it seemed like she had been floating. Her body felt suspended in nothingness, blackness completely enveloping her. Within the strange space, she didn't think; didn't feel. She simply was. She felt like she had been there her whole life.

But now, as she felt herself being drawn out of the blackness, she shivered again.

The void was fading now. It shrunk away from her at frightening speed.

And suddenly she was shocked back into consciousness.

Her unexpected wide-eyed gasp made Sasuke jump.

"Sakura!"

She looked over at him, uncomprehending. "S-sasuke?"

She looked at her shaking hands and held them up to her face. _Was it…Was it a success?_ She didn't feel any different. She closed her eyes and searched her inner mind. _Nothing different._

"Hachimata?" She looked at him questioningly.

Sasuke frowned slighty. "You are still only Sakura."

_So he knows._

She looked around. The rest of her team was staring at her—including Jiraiya.

Sakura hung her head. "We failed?"

"No," Kakashi was suddenly at her side. "But it's a long story. We're just glad that yo—"

"I'll tell her!" Naruto hopped up. "Sakura-chan, wait till you hear what happened!"

Sasuke inwardly let out a sigh of relief as the energetic blue-eyed shinobi recounted the entire tale to Sakura.

Though he was angry, the Uchiha was unsure if his anger was mostly at Sakura and Jiraiya or at himself. There was no doubt that he felt slightly betrayed by the actions of his teammates. Yet he also felt a deep respect for what they had tried to do and he knew, deep down inside, that he would have expected no less from a fellow ninja.

Sasuke thought back to the evening he had spent with Sakura in the tree. _She knew then. She knew what she would have to do and all she wanted was me to believe in her._ He was such an idiot. She probably would have told him the plan if he hadn't made such an ass of himself. Instead, he had hurt her intentionally with his words, not waiting to hear what she had wanted to say.

_You almost saw her die again. She almost died saving you. That's twice now._

Sasuke's attention was brought back to the conversation at hand by Sakura's soft chuckle.

"So you saved Hachimata!" She said. "Naruto, you're amazing!"

The kyuubi boy turned a dark shade of red and grinned awkwardly.

Sakura smiled back.

Her expression turned thoughtful. "But…where is she now?"

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"Are you sure about this?" Kakashi whispered to an equally leery sannin.

Jiraiya scowled. "Me? I'd rather walk back to Konoha on my hands then to do this."

They both looked up at the beaming face of Naruto. He waved to them.

Kakashi stepped aside and motioned to Sakura and Saruwatari. "Uh, you two go ahead. Ladies first."

The Raiju woman punched him in the arm as she walked by.

"Scaredy-cat."

Sasuke followed them, rolling his eyes as he passed the copy nin.

Kakashi and Jiraiya looked back up at the rest of the team as a large, leafy head leaned down next to him.

"Well?" Hachimata waved her tails impatiently. "I'm doing you humans a favor and you have the insolence to make me wait?"

Her red eyes narrowed.

"Oh, sorry," Jiraiya pushed Kakashi along in front of him. "We're just old, that's all."

The dragon looked at Saruwatari seated on her back. The Thunder ninja shrugged.

"Alright," the demon leapt up into the air. "A favor, for a favor." One of the heads looked back at Naruto. "Do not ask more of me than this. I might still be inclined to eat you."

"Haha!" He smiled. "Come on Hachimata! Back home to Konoha!

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The silence in at the edge of the forest was oppressive.

The Akatsuki leader looked at the message in his hands and shook his head. "They failed _again_. This is becoming a habit."

"Oh well," he continued. "We cannot wait any longer. We still have more than half of the demons. It will be more than enough."

He looked out at Konoha.

"Tomorrow we destroy this pitiful place."

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**Coming soon: Chapter 24: The War to end all Wars**

**Author's Note:** Since this is going to be the "beginning of the end" it may take a little longer for me to post the final chapters. I want to make sure that they are the best that they can be and that I cover everything I need/want to cover.  
Thanks!


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: The War to End all Wars**

From where she stood on the roof top, Tsunade stared out at the tree-lined border of Konoha. She could hear the enemy advancing, though she could not see them through the trees.

_A slap in the face._ They wanted her to know they were coming. Any other war had been fought with the quiet deadliness of shinobi.

But not this battle. This fight extended beyond the code of ninja.

On every side of her stood Konoha's own. The rooftops were covered with them. They all stood—silent and waiting—searching for the first hint of the enemy through the forest line.

A distant crash could be heard.

And another.

And another.

Tsunade took a deep breath. Although she stood among many, she stood alone now. Anyone who had seen her as more than just the Hokage was gone. Shizune was dead—Jiraiya and Sakura lost, possibly for good.

_Naruto._ She swallowed.

"_I'll be Hokage someday!"_

She set her jaw stubbornly.

She'd hold Akatsuki back as long as she could. She'd hold them back because the hopes and dreams of so many people rested within the hidden village.

She'd do her best.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed as shadowed figures appeared within the trees. And a giant, jewel-eyed head appeared above the forest.

_First line of attack_

She raised her hand. "For Konoha!"

The leaf shinobi rushed forward.

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Giant plumes of smoke could be seen rising in the distance.

At the sight of them, Naruto's heart skipped a beat. He felt Sakura place a hand on his shoulder.

"Is that Konoha?" She asked.

He could only shake his head in uncertainty.

Hachimata called back to them. "Oi, Kyuubi! Is that your village I smell on the wind?" She grinned wickedly. "Perhaps this was all for nothing, no?"

She arced gracefully through the air. "Just a few more minutes and it'll be in sight."

At the rear of the group, Kakashi and Jiraiya clutched at the leafy vines covering the massive green dragon. They, too, could see the distant haze of black hanging in the sky.

"Kakashi," The sannin said grimly. "Do you see what I see?"

The copy nin looked out at the horizon.

A large wooden head with glowing eyes stared back at him.

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"Shikamaru!" Tsunade called from her position behind the stone wall. "Find a way to keep those enemy shinobi away from this area! We've got to keep this place for the wounded!"

The green-clad youth frowned slightly but nodded, disappearing from the Hokage's sight.

Tsunade wiped the sweat from her forehead. She wanted to be out there fighting with her people but she knew that her expertise as a medical ninja was more important.

For the last few hours, the town had been overrun by enemy shinobi. Tsunade did not waste time seeing who they were specifically, but due to the poison found in many of the injuries she saw, she assumed a majority of them were Grass ninjas.

_Akatsuki are using shinobi from the countries they have taken over._ Her brown eyes narrowed in disgust. How like them to force others to fight their battle for them.

She looked fearfully at the statue looming just at the edge of her line of sight.

They still hadn't demonstrated any of its powers.

_They're toying with us._

Out of the corner of her eye, Tsuande saw Kiba rush in, the injured body of his sister lying across Akamaru's back. His own face was bruised and bloodied. She watched as white-clad hospital personnel swarmed the large dog, pulling the injured woman from his back. Kiba caught her eye briefly before he and Akamaru turned and headed back to the fight.

A chill ran down the sannin's spine.

She looked up at the sky, aware that the sun had disappeared behind a thick cloud of ash and soot. But…

_Had something just flown by overhead?_

She scanned the area around her, wary of what new tricks Akatsuki had planned. She could find nothing that attributed to the sudden goose bumps on her body.

A large, thunderous crash turned Tsunade's attention to the south side of the wall. She strained her eyes, blinking furiously as the salty sweat dripped into them.

She heard the noise again.

And smiled.

She could see a swirl of sand disappear behind the wall.

_Thank God. _She gave herself a moment to breathe before the next body came before her. _Allies from The Sand!_

Their timing could not have been better.

On the opposite side of the wall, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro quietly assessed the situation. They would have to air more on the side of caution this battle. Though he had not lost the ability to control sand, Gaara had lost a large amount of stamina. He no longer had the almost unlimited Shikaku chakra to rely on.

And his sand no longer moved of its own accord. Now, the Kazekage had to rely on his own perception in order to move the sand quickly enough to protect him.

"Temari," His voice was quiet as always. "See to the defenses. Kankuro—"

His brother nodded.

"—see what you can find out about that statue. I will meet with Tsunade-sama and then join you."

"Hai!" Both the elder brother and sister leapt away.

Gaara watched them go, more concerned about them than he ever had been in his entire life.

A few rooftops away, Shikamaru knelt, hands pressed together in his thinking position. Despite how many enemy shinobi had entered Leaf, the tide was going in Konoha's favor. There was no question that the Fire Country's ninja were some of the best.

A shadow fell over him and he looked up.

"Hmmm. You again. How troublesome."

Temari gave him a half-smile. "You needed rescuing again. You've become more dim-witted than the last time, it seems."

"Mmmm." Shikamaru sighed. "I can't be bothered with explaining the situation to you…"

"You can and you will." She raised her eyebrow. "And don't start spouting that garbage about me being a woman."

He sighed again. She was much more violent than his mother.

Across the village, Kankuro did his best to remain in the shadows. He skirted the buildings, making his way to where he had a better view of the vicious-looking statue.

But he couldn't get as close to it as he had hoped.

Surrounding the perimeter of the massive wooden beast, the remaining Akatsuki stood in wait. Kankuro counted them…

_Five?_

He looked around warily. _Where are the other two?_

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Hachimata dropped team seven off on the outskirts of the village.

Her eight-faces grinned as she leapt back into the air.

"Hey!" Naruto screamed up at her. "You're supposed to help!"

She snapped off the top of a nearby tree with one of her tails. "You should know better than to trust a demon, little Kyuubi. And I never said I would help."

"Hey! Don't you have any honor!?!"

She chuckled, flying up above the smoke clouds over the village, where she remained unseen. She perched nonchalantly on the great carved head of the Fourth.

Naruto's eyes narrowed.

"Come on!" Sakura was already running towards the town. "They need our help!"

The rest of them rushed along behind her.

But the Konoha they stepped into was far from the village they had left behind. Everywhere they looked, a battle was being waged. Bodies lay strewn in the streets. Here and there, shinobi from both sides struggled to pull their comrades off the front line.

Sakura's jaw dropped. She had never seen so much carnage. "I have to find Tsunade-sama!"

Sasuke went to jump after her, but Jiraiya held him back.

"No, you need to stay with Naruto." The sannin said. "I will go with Sakura."

Sasuke watched as the Toad Sage took off after the medic. After a moment, he turned back to the remainder of the team.

"Sasuke, Naruto, take Saruwatari and see about that statue. The human shinobi are easily dealt with. It's that creature we're going to have problems with. If we can disable it now, we'll save that many more lives." Kakashi uncovered his eye. "I'll see what good I can do out here. Now go!"

They were off in a flash.

Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura saw her teammates separate. A terrible feeling of worry descended on her.

_What if I never get to…_ She tried to push the thought away. She wouldn't think about the possibility of never seeing one of them again. She was a medic, and she wouldn't let them die in front of her.

"Sakura!" Jiraiya said from behind her. "Where are you headed?"

She inclined her head toward a long wall off to the hospital's left side. "Tsunade-sama mentioned before that the wall near the hospital was intended for battle purposes. Any medical staff outside would still be close enough to the hospital if they needed something."

She looked up at the medical building. A portion of it had collapsed inward but it had, for the most part, remained in working condition.

They rounded the corner of the stone barrier.

"Sakura! Jiraiya!"

They looked up. Tsunade rushed across the compilation of bodies toward her two friends. Sakura caught the exhausted woman in her arms as she fell towards them, tears streaming down her face.

"Sakura…" She reached a hand up and tugged the young woman's hair. "And you," she pulled Jiraiya into the hug. "You old fool."

Suddenly, the Hokage straightened. "But…Jiraiya…then…" Disappointment shown on her face. "We failed?"

"Well, Tsunade, it's a long story." The white-haired sannin sighed. "A really really long story. We have the Raiju and we have Naruto. But…" He gestured up to the nearly invisible faces on the mountain. "Hachimata is just an observer."

"What!" The brown eyes went wide. "Hachimata is here…and unsealed!?"

Sakura chuckled. "You always said Naruto had a way about him. But it really is a long story."

The Hokage's attention went to the newest incoming bodies. Her expression was instantly weary. "Sakura, as much as I want you by my side, go. Go out and help your friends. I don't want you to have to see them brought in here, knowing there may have been something you could have done if you were out there with them."

"Yes!" Her green eyes glinted with determination. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

The sannins watched her leap up and over the wall.

Jiraiya helped Tsunade over to the injured shinobi. "You know, my old friend," he knelt down next to her, "you've never looked better!"

Rolling her eyes, Tsunade shoved him mercilessly, a smile on her face.

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Naruto, Sasuke, and Saruwatari crouched with Kankuro and Gaara behind the remnants of a demolished home. They stared up at the wooden demon before them.

Gaara's expression darkened at the sight of the Akatsuki.

Naruto had no doubt that painful memories were being played over and over again in the Kazekage's mind. He knew there were no words to comfort the young Sand leader.

Kankuro scowled. "I wish Temari were here. I do not see a way to attack the statue without attracting Akatsuki's attention."

"So let's attract their attention," Gaara said ominously. "I have scores to settle."

Saruwatari frowned. "There are too many of them. There are not enough of us to distract them and have someone get close enough to the statue. I was young and foolish once too, you know"

Naruto nodded. "If only Sakura-chan were here. She could punch some monstrous holes in that thing."

Gaara regarded the old woman. He noted her hunched form and her covered arms. And, looking into her eyes, he saw what had once been a part of himself.

He looked at Naruto knowingly. "I underestimated the plans of Konoha." He said softly.

Saruwatari smiled. "Ah, so you figured it out, eh? I thought I had hidden my six tails pretty well."

Kankuro's jaw dropped.

The Kazekage smiled slightly. "You cannot hide a bijuu from another."

The old woman's eyes widened. "You…you're the host without a demon!"

Gaara nodded.

The five allies looked up at the statue.

_How are we possibly going to do this?_

But then something happened that made their blood run cold.

The large wooden bit fell from the statue's mouth.

As they looked on in horror, one of the jewel-like eyes flared with light. Slowly, the clawed hands began to move and the mouth curled in a evil grin.

A cloaked figure knelt on the massive head.

Naruto's eyes narrowed.

_Akatsuki._

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Sakura froze, her eyes lifting from Neji's wound.

All around her, the fighting stopped for a moment as everyone stared at the Akatsuki creature.

She and Neji looked at one another.

Somewhere to her right, she heard the voice of Lee.

She hauled the Hyuuga genius to his feet and they ran for cover.

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**Coming soon: Chapter 25: A Clash of Demons**

**Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: A Clash of Demons

The ominous shadow of the Akatsuki monster loomed over the village.

Shikamaru and Temari glanced at each other, wide-eyed. The two keen analysts had hoped that the statue wouldn't awaken so soon.

"Temari," Shikamaru grabbed her elbow. "Your brother—Gaara—is he here with you?"

She yanked herself from his grip. "Of course, you idiot. Do you think I came here all by myself to save Konoha?"

He rolled his eyes. _How troublesome._ "I think I might have a plan, but we have to find him first."

Raising her eyebrow, she said, "He and Kankuro will be close to the wooden beast. What do you have in mind?"

"Well, it's not a full plan yet, but I'll explain what I am thinking as we go."

They sped off in the opposite direction of the fleeing crowd.

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"Come on," Saruwatari was already racing away from them. "We should find the others and figure out a plan from there!"

"Granny Tsunade," Naruto yelled up to her. "We need to find her! She's the one in charge!"

"Eh?" The Raiju woman looked at him, slightly confused.

Sasuke rolled his eyes as he raced away from the base of the statue. "He means our Hokage."

"Tsunade-sama is near the hospital," the soft voice of Gaara broke in. "I spoke with her briefly."

"Alright!" The blond kyuubi man grinned. "Towards the hospital we go!"

He cut to the right, heading down a narrow alley. As he ran, he glanced around, glad that he had seen no villagers caught in the crossfire. No doubt Iruka-sensei had evacuated them all to the cavern behind the mountain carvings.

Naruto grimaced. He hoped that none of the villagers had seen the intimidating form of the dragon sitting over the town. It would send them all into a panic.

He strained his eyes, but the faces of the past Hokages were still hidden behind a screen of smoke.

"Naruto!" Sasuke stopped them in the middle of their tracks. He inclined his head to the end of the alley. "Someone is waiting for us."

They squinted against the dust cloud. Two forms were outlined in the light, facing them from the opposite entrance to the corridor.

"Oi, Naruto?" A deep voice called to them. "Is that you, Naruto?"

"Hai! Shikamaru!" Naruto walked over to them. "Oh and Temari-san."

"When did you get back? We thought you guys were gone for good!"

The two men clapped each other on the back in greeting before the Nara youth's face became serious again.

His eyes went to Gaara.

"It's good to have you back, but now isn't the time to catch up. Temari and I have been talking. We think we may know a way to slow that thing down. It'll be troublesome, but with the Kazekage's help, it just might work." Shikamaru glanced over at Saruwatari. "Eh? Perhaps we should drop off the old woman where it's saf—"

He choked on the last word as the Thunder ninja grabbed him by the shirt. She glared at him, lighting up her eyes with blue sparks. "I am tired of being called an old woman."

That said, she placed him down gently, and walked back to her spot beside Sasuke.

Shikamaru sighed and shook his head. "Naruto…don't give me too much detail, but who is she?"

"Why, she's the six-tails' host." His blue eyes lit up. "She's here to help."

"Hmmm, here to help, eh?" He looked thoughtful. "There's seven of us now, that might be enough."

Temari nodded.

"Alright, here's what we were thinking…"

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Tsunade and Sakura peered over the wall at Akatsuki.

The Hokage's eyes narrowed. "Why hasn't it attacked yet?" She whispered. "What are they waiting for?"

Sakura didn't respond. _Where are Naruto and Sasuke? _She relaxed her stance, realizing that she had been holding her breath. _Kakashi? Saruwatari? _ There were so many people she hadn't even seen yet. Behind the wall, Lee, Neji, Tenten and Kiba were the only ones she could account for. Everyone else was still out in the village.

Sakura's jaw clenched. _Ino._

Tsunade's hand on her arm shattered her thoughts. She looked up at her teacher.

"Sakura." Her brown eyes looked at the young woman knowingly. "I'll ask you to stay behind the wall…but I won't force you."

"I—"

Hokage and student ducked as a massive ball of water and rock hurtled through the air, hitting the mountain with its full force.

Dirt and stone tumbled down on them, shrouding the recovering shinobi in a film of deadly mountain debris. Huge chunks fell disconcertingly close as Sakura and her old classmates fought to move the wounded ninjas to the protection of a large outcropping of rock.

The last of them moved, Sakura looked over at Tsunade.

The sannin nodded sadly.

Determined to find her friends, Sakura hopped up and over the wall.

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The group dove for cover as the wooden creature spit out another massive ball of rock and water. It flew overhead, demolishing an entire block of houses as it landed a few hundred meters behind them.

As the Akatsuki demon spewed forth more balls of watery death, Shikamaru nodded to Gaara from his position on the opposite side of the road.

The Kazekage inclined his head once in response.

The giant figure itself had only advanced a few steps since beginning the attack. And as it moved forward, so did the Akatsuki members at its feet.

Naruto only recognized Kakuzu. The other members he had never seen before.

His eyes narrowed. The figure on top of the monster's head was probably their leader.

Temari also was studying the figures before them. Her brow furrowed in thought. "Shikamaru…"

"Eh?"

"Watch the cloaked shinobi."

He turned his attention from what Gaara was doing to the calm figures of Akatsuki. His eyes narrowed—and then widened suddenly as he realized what Temari was pointing out.

As the wooden fiend launched another attack, Shikamaru noted that one of the Akatsuki was deep in meditation, his hands forming occasional symbols.

He looked at Temari.

She smirked. "Looks like we may have found a weakness."

The young man nodded. _So…that's why each Akatsuki was assigned an individual tailed-beast to find. It was so they could control them once they were inside the statue! And if each Akatsuki controls an attack type, it means they'll be leaving themselves open for outside interference when they go to perform the technique._ If only he could figure out which member controlled what function.

He turned his attention back to Gaara. The Sand shinobi had just finished the last seal of his jutsu.

They all looked up as the Akatsuki members yelled out in rage.

Shikamaru smiled.

The statue had stopped. A large sinkhole of sand had opened up beneath it and even as they watched, it began to descend into the soil.

But the jutsu was putting a strain on Gaara. Without the demon inside of him, he didn't have enough chakra to keep up his performance. Even as it was, sweat was beading on his forehead as he struggled to keep the pit of sand swirling around the monster.

Naruto was the next to catch Shikamaru's eye.

The notoriously lazy youth nodded.

"Alright! _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_" The crowd of Naruto clones grinned. "Let's do this!" They swarmed toward the Akatsuki members, leaving the real Naruto behind.

"Okay!" Shikamaru called over to them. "Now, while they're distracted! Sasuke! See if you can…"

But as the Uchiha got ready to dash forward and light the statue ablaze…he and the rest of the group stopped and stared in dismay.

While the clones still fought around the base of the structure, the Akatsuki leader at the top had settled himself into a concentration pose.

Gaara fell backward, crying out. His chakra was depleted; his jutsu shattered. As they watched, the sand beneath the statue slowly began swirling in the opposite direction, drawing the grotesque wooden beast up and out of the pit. Once it had emerged, the sand below rose up into the air, solidifying until it had formed an impressive wall around the giant.

The Akatsuki leader spread his arms wide—

--and the wall exploded outward.

Sasuke felt himself thrown back, only to be caught by the strong yet gentle arms of Sakura.

She shielded him with her body, grimacing in pain as chunks of hardened sand pelted her along her back.

Sasuke looked up at her, momentarily surprised. "Sakura?"

Wincing in pain, she smiled at him and hugged him tightly. "Sasuke-kun! I'm glad you are alright!"

He wasn't fast enough to return her embrace with how quickly she jumped up and away. "What's going on here?"

But Shikamaru hopped down beside them before Sasuke could explain.

"We're going to have to retreat for now. Gaara's exhausted, and I hadn't counted on them using our own moves against us. Now that they know we're this close, they'll be out looking for us. But I don't think they'll leave the close proximity to the statue"

Sasuke nodded.

The rest of the group had recovered and had made their way over to where Sasuke, Sakura and Shikamaru were kneeling.

Saruwatari brushed the dust off her long robes, irritation written all over her face. She frowned. "Come on. Let's go meet this Hokage of yours and maybe we'll be able to figure out something else."

Naruto hopped over to Sakura. "Sakura-chan! When did you get here?"

"Just in time to get hit by a bunch of sand." She smiled.

"Well come on! Let's get back to the hospital!"

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"Are you sure?" Tsunade asked. "How can you be that positive?"

Jiraiya sighed. "I am not positive, Hokage-sama. But it would _appear_ that Akatsuki are low on chakra and that is why the statue has stopped."

The sannin looked out in the dim light of dusk at the now dormant colossal figure.

"But how can that be? There must be unlimited chakra inside that thing due to all the demons."

The white-haired sage was thoughtful. "I don't think that's it. From what Shikamaru told us, the individual Akatsuki members control different aspect of the statue. It seems likely that they need to use their own chakra to activate the attacks. Once they are tired and out of chakra, then they can no longer control the beasts on the inside."

Tsunade nodded. "And there are only five of them. That means most of the control is going to one person and it is probably a great strain on them. Once the missing members arrive then, I think, our luck will be out."

From her spot along the base of the mountain, Sakura could hear her mentor's foreboding words. She rubbed her sore back, staring up at the sky.

Most of the ninjas had retreated to their respective sides once night began to fall. They could have kept fighting, and there were places that the battle still waged, but both sides took the darkness to regroup and heal their injured comrades.

The smoke still clouded the air, but Sakura thought she could catch a glimpse of a star every now and then.

The sudden appearance of three disheveled forms caught her attention.

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto rushed over. "Kakashi-sensei! Shino!

The Hyuga girl blushed furiously even in the dim light. Naruto grabbed her by the hand. "Hinata-chan! Come and meet a friend off mine!"

Sakura watched him haul her towards Saruwatari.

_Ino._ Her smile disappeared. She hadn't seen her blond friend since they had arrived in Konoha. She could only hope that Ino and Choji were safe with other shinobi in a separate part of town. Shikamaru had told her the last place he had seen the flower-shop girl was near the Hokage's palace during the first stage of attack.

"Sakura."

She looked up. "Oh, Kakashi-sensei. I'm glad to see you're okay."

He chuckled. "Ah, Sakura. You know better than to worry about me." He ruffled her dirty hair. "Everything alright?"

The medic smiled. Kakashi always had a way of knowing when something was on her mind. "I'm worried about Ino."

"Eh? Ino? What for?"

"I haven't seen her."

"Hmmm. You know, neither have I."

A new fire broke out in an abandoned home on the other side of the wall. It cast an orange light over

Sakura's worried expression.

Kakashi patted her shoulder and stood up. "Ah, Sakura. I'm sure Ino is fine. I think she'd see dieing as a way of letting you win."

Sakura had to chuckle as her ex-sensei walked away from her, orange book in hand despite the poor, fire-induced lighting.

She sighed and stood. Tsunade probably needed an extra hand to help heal their fellow shinobi.

She looked out over the collection of resting bodies.

It was going to be a long night.

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Sasuke watched Sakura's form in the flickering orange light. He could tell she was growing increasingly weary with every person she healed. When he saw her fall to her knees next to a patient, he stood and walked over to her.

"Sakura." He pulled her up gently. "Enough."

She tried to pull away from him. "No. I…I need to help…"

Pulling her arm over his shoulder, he walked her back over to an empty place by the wall. "Sit."

She plopped down on the pile of blankets.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

He stood in front of her awkwardly for a while, before sitting down next to her. He hadn't really spoken with her much since hurting her feelings in Earth country.

She turned her face to him. Her eyes were exhausted.

"Sasuke-kun, I have to go find Ino."

She was so serious, he didn't know what to say to her. Even though her eyes were heavy with sleep, her mind was just as sharp as ever.

"Go to sleep, Sakura."

"No. Once I rest, I'm going to go find Ino."

"Hn." He looked at her. "Don't be stupid. You're not going out at night—alone no less." Even as he said it, he cringed on the inside. _Are you ever going to try being nice to her? _

Sakura surprised him. She grabbed his chin and turned his face to hers, so they were looking eye to eye.

"Sasuke, I'm going to go find Ino." She dropped her hand. "She would do the same for me. I'm not afraid, and I'm not stupid."

She looked away from him.

"I know," He said. "I know you're not stupid."

"I'm just annoying, right?"

He frowned. "No…not annoying either."

Somewhere out in the village there was a crash. Sakura jumped, startled due to her exhaustion.

She stood, shakily. "I can't wait any longer. She could be dead or dieing. After all we've been through, I owe her this much."

Sasuke grabbed her arm, forcing her to sit back down. "Stop saying that, Sakura. You don't owe anyone anything. After all you've done for your friends…" He was almost at a loss for words. "You don't _owe_ us anything."

She shook her head. "I owe it to her _because I care about her_. That's what it means to be a friend. You just automatically know that there is someone out there worried about you; searching for you. It's because I'm her friend that I owe it to Ino…not because she saved me and now it's my turn to save her."

Sasuke's face was blank but her words echoed in his head. _ I owe it to her because I care about her._

He took a deep breath.

And another.

"Sakura…" he began. "I have never been, and will never be, the man to tell you the things you deserve to hear." He avoided her wounded gaze. His hand still held her firmly in place—he needed her to hear him out. "But…" he swallowed, "It's not because the feelings aren't there."

_There. He'd said it._

She stared at him, her green eyes wide and no longer sleepy. Her mouth had opened slightly. She remained silent.

_Damn it._ Sasuke ground his teeth. _Why isn't she saying something?_ His expression became angry. He should have known better than to say anything. Now he just felt like an idiot.

The Uchiha's fist had clenched and he was just about to stand when Sakura placed a hand on his shoulder.

He instantly tensed under her touch.

"Sasuke-kun," she looked at him with uncertainty. "Why are you telling me this?"

He glanced at her, not answering.

Sakura's eyes misted over.

Sasuke held his breath. Was she going to reject him? What kind of tears were those?

But Sakura smiled at him. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

The memory hit him like a ton of bricks. So many years ago…he had said those same words to her. Had she said them just now to prove a point?

_No._ As he looked at her, he knew she hadn't even said them on purpose. She was truly thanking him and not just looking for a way to dodge his feelings.

"Hn."

Sakura surprised him by laying her head on his shoulder. Sasuke froze, unsure what to do as she yawned sleepily.

But she surprised him even more when she yawned again, and mumbled, "I love you too, Sasuke-kun."

And then she was asleep.

Relief flooded through Sasuke, though he still wasn't sure what to do next. He leaned back against the wall, glaring at the stupid grin Jiraiya was giving him. Even Kakashi was staring. Sasuke frowned at them all, slightly concerned that Naruto was avoiding looking at him completely. Those shinobi who had known him in the academy also stared, unaware of just how much Sasuke had changed. To them, it was as strange a sight as the Akatsuki monster destroying their town.

Sasuke sighed and looked away. He had just complicated things immensely.

_Itachi._

His eyes narrowed. His need to hunt down his brother had lessened due to the urgency of the last couple of months. But now that he was back in Konoha, and so close to Akatsuki, the drive was back again.

He listened to Sakura's deep, even breathing.

_This was why you didn't want to tell her all those years ago. You're just going to cause her more pain if something happens to you. And then what? She'll go after Itachi herself. _

He frowned at his own logic. He had been surprised, when he learned that Sakura knew about his brother, that she had not already gone after the older Uchiha with Naruto. _She must know how important it is for me to be the one to do it._

His attention was drawn to Shikamaru as the youth suddenly stood and shouted:

"That's it! I've figure out what we need to do!"

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Coming soon: Chapter 26: Welcome Back-- Akatsuki plus Two

Author's Note: I tried to update for the last THREE days, but fanfiction has been giving me a horrible time with my account. Half the time my chapters won't upload and I haven't been receiving updates via email. I know some of their hard drives crashed, but they said everything should be fixed. (yeah right) I go to the support sight they tell you to go to…but there's nothing there. So hang in there with me, I WILL complete this story in a timely manner. But, just fair warning, there are not many chapters left.


	26. Chapter 26

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! If I did, I'd buy fanfiction so I could make sure there would be no more problems with my account.

**Please be aware that I posted TWO new chapters today--so make sure you read Chapter 25 First!**

**Chapter 26: Welcome back—Akatsuki Plus Two**

In the early dawn light, Itachi stared up at the frozen statue of the Akatsuki.

_Fools._ He thought. _They should have waited for us before they activated it. They've only worn out their own chakra._

He almost smirked. Soon, it wouldn't matter to him one way or another. He had a much bigger plan and it was time to start concentrating on that. He had ridden along with Akatsuki as far as he would go.

"Ah, welcome back." The leader called down to them. "I'm impressed you had the courage to show your face again after failing me a second time."

The Uchiha subconsciously rubbed the pink hair that was still twined around his finger. He would not dignify the leader with a response.

He and Kisame took their places near the base of the wooden structure.

Itachi would humor them for now.

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Sakura dodged through the shadows using the vanishing darkness and the ever-present haze of smoke to conceal her movements.

If anyone who knew her had seen her, they would have commented on the swiftness in which she moved and the new determination set in her eyes. It was as if the months and months spent on the mission had been erased and she had just woken from a normal, restful sleep.

Sakura scanned the buildings before her.

_Nothing. _

The fighting had moved away from that area.

She tried to keep her mind focused on Ino, but it kept wandering back to her friends behind the wall. She was sure they were leaving the protected area behind to continue the fight, but she hadn't told any of them when she had left herself.

_Sasuke._ She almost didn't dare think of what had happened just a few hours ago. And when she had finally awoken—still resting against his shoulder—she wondered if it had all been a dream. But Sakura knew it was reality, no matter how many ways she thought about it in her mind. She knew he would be furious when he realized she had left without telling anyone, but she also knew that her friend was depending on her.

To hear Sasuke's feelings only strengthened Sakura's resolve to find her childhood friend. Even if no one else was out here looking for Ino and Choji, Sakura was.

Now that the sun was up, she managed to catch fleeting glimpses of other shadowy forms moving past her. They may have been enemies; they may have been her friends. She could not tell. But the morning sun was bringing both sides back into heated battle.

The pink-haired healer stepped gingerly over a dead Grass Shinobi. Guiltily, she knelt down, double-checking for any sign of life. To Sakura, it didn't matter what side someone was on if they were in danger of death. Feeling nothing, she sighed and leapt away.

The sound of exploding tags lead her to the far North side of town.

Crouching along the corner of an old restaurant, Sakura peered at the battle going on before her.

She could not tell where the attacking shinobi were from. They did not appear to be from Grass country, as the majority of the enemy seemed to be. From their rooftop position, they hurled kunais with attached tags toward a burning home.

Instinctively, Sakura knew.

_Ino!_

Sneaking back around the opposite side of the building, she was able to see inside the home under attack. A large hole in the wall nearest to her provided a good view of the trapped ninja within as well as serving as a way of entry.

Staying under the radar as best she could, Sakura darted across the street and dove through the opening.

"Sakura-chan!" Choji looked up in shock. "How…I mean…you…when?"

She looked from him to the unconscious form of Ino and over to the two jonin kneeling in the corner.

"Kurenia-sensei?" She didn't recall the other shinobi's name, but she recognized him as the examiner of her first chuunin exam.

"Sakura!" Kurenai winced in pain. Sakura noticed the giant gash in the woman's side. The man next to her reached out to support her.

An explosion on the roof made Sakura dart over to where Choji protected Ino's form.

He looked at Sakura. "We're out of chakra—all of us. They've kept us in here for two days with those exploding tags. It's just a matter of time before this place collapses in around us."

"What happened to Ino?" She placed a hand on her friend's cool forehead.

"She managed to catch on of them in her mind-transfer jutsu…but they killed their own ninja when they realized it was her! She…she just managed to do a release before the body she was in died." He shook his head. "She hasn't woken up since."

Sakura frowned, sending her healing chakra into the motionless form in front of her. She could sense nothing wrong physically with her friend.

_The shock of throwing herself back into her body must have worn her out._

She focused the chakra on Ino's forehead.

After a few moments, the blond's eyes opened slightly.

"S-sakura-chan?"

The medic smiled. "Hey Ino-chan. Don't move around too much. I'll take care of everything."

"What are you planning, Sakura?" The male jonin asked.

Her eyes narrowed in thought. "Are you and Choji able to cause a distraction for me?"

Genma nodded. "We're alright except for the lack of chakra."

Sakura picked her way over the debris toward the hole in the back wall. "Alright, you cause the diversion, and I'll take care of the rest."

Out the hole she went.

From her original position a street over, Sakura watched as Choji and Genma exited the front door, Kurenai and Ino in tow.

The attacking ninja snickered, amazed that their quarry would attempt to leave right in front of them. As they prepared to throw more weapons down on the fleeing Leaf shinobi, Sakura ran out from hiding and placed a hand tentatively on the building.

The enemy looked down at her, intrigued by the arrival of a new victim.

She grinned wickedly at them—

--and slammed her fist into the wall.

Their outraged cries were cut short as the building collapse inward, taking them with it. A few explosions, from the unused tags sealed the tomb.

"Come on!" Sakura helped Choji with Ino. "Let's get you guys to the Hokage!"

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Sasuke's mind was wandering as he listened to Shikamaru's plan.

He had been more than surprised to wake up and find Sakura gone. He'd been dangerously angry and annoyed at first, but now he was simply concerned. However, his face retained its stone-like front and no one was the wiser about his thoughts.

"…so, any questions?" Shikamaru asked.

Everyone, Sasuke included, shook their heads.

"Alright," The Nara youth stood. "Head out then. You all know what to do." He, Temari, Gaara and Saruwatari leapt up and over the wall.

Tsunade shook her head. "Good luck. Jiraiya and I are going to go scout the village. We've got a lot of unaccounted for shinobi and no doubt they need some help."

She cast a glance at Sasuke, aware that she was not the only one worried about Sakura.

"I've got faith in you guys." The Hokage smiled. "For Konoha!"

Naruto and Sasuke took off over the wall.

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The wooden creature shuddered as the Akatsuki around it concentrated their chakra. With the arrival of Kisame and Itachi, they now had enough power to complete the attack.

The statue suddenly roared to life.

The Akatsuki leader steered the abomination into the town, crushing buildings on its journey towards the Hokage's palace.

He smiled as he spotted four figures on a distant roof.

_Fools! They think four worthless shinobi can stand up to the powers of these demons?_

His smile grew larger as he redirected the beast towards them.

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"Alright," Shikamaru said, mostly to himself. "Almost—"

"—Now!"

They hopped away from the oncoming threat, heading toward the southern base of Konoha's cliff, away from the palace and Tsunade's medical facility.

_Wait…wait…_

"Now!"

They leapt away again.

Now, they had reached the cliff and could go no further. The wooden creature stomped through the buildings. Its massive hands grabbed and crushed things in its wake.

Shikamaru, Temari, Saruwatari and Gaara held their ground at the base of the ridge.

Off to his right, the young strategist could see the tell-tale red glow of Naruto's chakra. The kyuubi youth and Sasuke were a few buildings off to the right, waiting for Shikamaru to give them the word.

The statue loomed in front of them and the Akatsuki members were mere meters away.

_Not yet!_ Sweat formed on Shikamaru's forehead. _Not yet Naruto…just wait.._

One of the creature's eyes lit up.

Temari opened her fan fully, forcing herself to remain where she was. "You'd better be right about all this, idiot." She growled at Shikamaru. "I'm not sure if you're a fool or if you're brilliant."

He fought a smile, eyes never leaving the creature as chakra surged to its hands.

"Now!!" He screamed. "Now Naruto!!"

Shikamaru and Temari dove one way as Gaara and Saruwatari dove the other. They watched as Naruto appeared in all his four-tailed glory.

The ball of energy died instantly as the surprised Akatsuki dropped their guard.

They watched as Naruto ripped into the base of the statue. But Shikamaru was aware that Sasuke as taking the biggest chance by leaving his body unattended. The Uchiha was slumped against the wall of one of the buildings, hopefully out of view, his energy focused on staying inside Naruto's mind.

As the Akatsuki jumped to safety, the Nara youth signaled to the rest of the group.

Saruwatari nodded, closing her eyes and performing hand seals so fast, no one was able to track them. After a moment, a dark cloud appeared over the wooden demon, spewing forth rain and lightning and shaking the ground with the force of the thunder.

The Akatsuki leader cried out to his other members. "You fools! Keep your focus! All we need is one good attack!"

He began forming seals.

But the other members were more concerned with Naruto thrashing about at their heels. Only Zetsu and the leader were making any attempt.

Shikamaru saw another eye begin to flicker.

He knew it was now or never.

He watched as Gaara focused and a massive arm of sand exploded out of the nearby cliff and headed toward the creature.

The leader stared in open shock for a moment before her was forced to dive from the wooden beast and onto a roof with Itachi.

His rage was indescribable as he watched the sand cover his creation. The rain water soaked the sand, making it one hundred times heavier.

But something happened no one had expected.

Out of Naruto's eyes, Sasuke watched as Saruwatari doubled over, bolts of lightning surrounding her. Her eyes went white and her form suddenly changed. The rain stopped and the entire sky clouded over. An unearthly shriek erupted from her. She was no longer Saruwatari.

_Naruto…_ Sasuke mentally touched the demon fox's chakra. _Naruto, I'm going to have to leave your mind! I'll turn off the fox first , so you'd better get to cover once I'm gone!_

He received a mental agreement from the young man.

Sasuke pushed the demon fox away and returned to his own mind. He staggered to his feet and left the cover of the buildings. Racing toward a confused Shikamaru, he was thrown back by a storm-induced wind.

He concentrated on the Raiju, not sure if what he was planning would work or not.

Meanwhile, Shikamaru knew the plan was in danger of failing. Akatsuki would not let them have another chance.

He signaled once more to Gaara and then to Temari.

The Kazekage raised his hands, causing the ground in front of them to turn into sand. To his side, Temari reached back with her fan…

…and sent a wave of air out and away from them. The gust of wind picked up the fresh, dry sand and plastered it to the wet sand covering the Akatsuki statue. She repeated her technique a few more times until the entire thing was encased.

They had created a giant brick.

But now Shikamaru was concerned. He had counted on Saruwatari sending a lightening bolt into the nearby cliff and sending a barrage of boulders down to crush the immobilized threat.

He looked over at Sasuke and the Thunder nin.

Saruwatari's mind was alien, but the Uchiha was still able to reach her. He had no idea if he had the ability to suppress the Raiju as well as the Kyuubi, but it was worth a shot. He searched through the lonely halls that symbolized her mind, eventually coming face to face with the fierce monkey demon.

Unlike the Kyuubi, the Raiju railed against Sasuke's presence. It fought to push him out, but as he laid his hands on it, he knew that he was the one in control.

Naruto watched, barely able to move, as Saruwatari returned to her normal self. The blond allowed Temari to haul him bodily behind a building.

They were soon joined by Sasuke and a weary Saruwatari.

Gaara and Shikamaru remained out in the open.

Akatsuki would be on them soon and they had nothing left to fight with.

But a loud, ferocious voice caught everyone's attention.

On the cliff above, looking down on them, was a familiar figure.

"Hey! I think maybe it's my turn now!"

Naruto grinned as he saw Badejiru. The Earth shinobi was in his second transformation and behind him stood an army of his countrymen.

"Alright!" Naruto winced as he yelled. "It's about time!"

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From her position on the mountain, Hachimata watched the six shinobi below her with interest.

She was aware that the ground beneath her was hollow and filled with the non-shinobi villagers of Konoha. If she weren't so amused with the Kyuubi, she would have been tempted to crush them all herself.

Instead, she watched as the enemy approached via the long road up the mountain.

They were unaware of her presence, since she had moved back and away from the carved faces.

It was clever, sending a few ninja this way to wipe out the villagers. They were probably not very well protected.

But, she frowned.

_You're going soft._ She said to herself.

The advancing shinobi suddenly found their path cut off as the dragon slammed her clawed hand down on the road.

All eight heads grinned down at them "Oh no you don't." She boomed. "You'll have to go through me first!"

Afterward, she wasn't sure how many of them died out of fear before she even got to them.

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**Coming soon: Chapter 27: Itachi's Ultimate Plan**


	27. Chapter 27

Na Na Na Na…na na na na…Hey hey hey…I do not own Naruto…

**Author's note:** Answer to a good question: Why didn't anyone panic when they woke up to find Sakura gone? Well…let's just say they did and I forgot to write about it or that the confusion of war had everyone but Sasuke distracted or maybe that Sakura can take care of herself and no one was too concerned.

**Chapter 27: Itachi's Ultimate Plan**

Itachi watched, almost uninterested, as the allied shinobi went about their business of obliterating the statue.

He even managed to tune out the incessant yelling of the Akatsuki leader. The powerful man stood next to him, screaming out orders to the scattered organization members.

Itachi looked up.

A new figure had appeared above them on the cliff edge. The oldest Uchiha's eyes narrowed at the sight of another bijuu. _The seven-tails. How surprising._

He removed a kunai from his pouch.

It was time.

The Akatsuki leader glanced over as Itachi stepped to his side.

He barely had time to register what was happening before the sharingan user impaled him on the blade.

Itachi remained expressionless as he watched the life leave the other man's eyes. There was no question reflected in them—he knew why Itachi had attacked him. Itachi had known that the only one who could oppose his leaving the organization was the head man himself.

So he had taken care of that problem as he had seen fit.

He carefully wiped the blood from his blade.

Akatsuki had served its purpose. He no longer needed the help of the group to obtain the nine-tails. Another, better plan had formed in his mind, one that would allow him to force Sasuke into gaining the mangekyo sharingan. And once Sasuke could stand before him with equal eye power, the true purpose of the Uchiha clan would be shown.

Itachi knew his little brother was somewhere below, but his thoughts were not on him at the moment.

He brushed the soft pink hair again between his fingers again.

Leaving his former comrades to their fate, he slipped off the roof and away from the battle.

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After leaving Ino and her companions in the care of the other medical nin, Sakura headed towards where the sand-encased statue towered at the edge of the town.

As she ran, she became increasingly aware that most of the regular fighting had stopped. Any shinobi she saw were busy searching for friends or were badly injured themselves. They showed little interest in her as she raced through the debris-strewn streets.

Sakura was unaware that her steps were being shadowed.

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Though barely conscious after his exertion, Naruto called up to Badejiru.

The youth nodded to him, showing that he understood what they wanted him to do.

Shikamaru and Sasuke grabbed a hold of Naruto's arms and the group began making their way back towards Tsunade's refuge.

Once they were out of the way, the Tsuchikage's son grinned wickedly. Already in two-tail state, the chakra claws on his hands extended well out and beyond a normal arm's length. The Kaku's chakra oozed from him, providing him with the strength he needed.

With a fierce roar, he slammed his claws into the ledge he was standing on. The force of the impact dislodged the rock in front of him and sent the entire side of the mountain ridge crashing down.

At the bottom, Akatsuki fled, heading back in the same direction Shikamaru's group had gone.

The landslide demolished the wooden statue beneath it, burying the creation in a crypt of rock.

Up above, Badejiru motioned to his fellow ninjas. "Go, head towards the palace and be of help where you can."

He followed after them, his eyes searching for any signs of the strange Akatsuki members. He paused briefly when he noticed the crumpled form on a nearby roof top—a form wearing one of those tell-tale robes.

Curious as to what had happened, Badejiru hurried off in the direction Naruto had gone.

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Sakura had taken shelter behind a short wall when the mountain had come thundering down. A new cloud of dust had swept through the immediate area of the statue and Sakura found herself slightly disoriented. She made her way slowly, covering her mouth with her gloved hand to avoid breathing in the thick particles that hung in the air.

She hadn't gone to far when someone stepped out into the street in front of her.

Squinting against the earth-filled air, she tried to see who it was.

"N-Naruto?" She whispered unsurely.

The figure stepped closer and Sakura felt like her heart dropped into her stomach.

"Haruno Sakura." Sharingan eyes blazed at her. "We meet again."

She was so shocked that she was unprepared for his sudden movement directly at her. He stopped a breath away and hit her with such force that she went flying backward, skidding across the deserted road.

She coughed and pushed her body off the ground only to be stopped by a kunai at her throat.

"Now, listen." He whispered next to her ear. "If you fight me, I will not kill you, but I won't make living very pleasant. You are going to come with me and you are going to do what I tell you to and say what I tell you to say."

She spit a mixture of blood and mucous onto his face.

His already dangerous expression darkened and he slammed the kunai into her leg.

Sakura's scream was partially muffle as he placed a hand over her mouth and pressed the kunai to her throat again.

"No more trouble," He whispered. "Now stand up."

She struggled to her feet, aware that it was her own blood that trickled off the kunai and down her throat.

The Uchiha glanced down at her as he pulled her along, aware that her green eyes were still just as defiant as they were before. In fact, he didn't see an ounce of fear in them That bothered Itachi. If she didn't fear him, he couldn't expect her to obey him. His grip on her arm tightened.

Sakura grimaced, but kept quiet. To someone who had been on the verge of death numerous times, the rough hand bruising her arm was a mere annoyance.

"When you see Sasuke and the Kyuubi you will do your best to convince them to listen to me."

"It won't matter what I say," She sneered. "Nothing would stop them from killing you."

He pressed the blade cruelly against her skin. "Oh really? Do you think they'd sacrifice you just to get at me?"

Sakura swallowed. "I know that Naruto will save me."

Itachi raised his eyebrow. _So, she and Sasuke are not as close as I thought._

The pink-haired medic glanced cautiously at her captor. She knew she had taken a risk in down playing Sasuke's feelings for her. If Itachi found out the truth, he'd surely kill her. But it would be easier for Sasuke if his older brother wasn't attempting to use Sakura as leverage.

Itachi stopped suddenly, holding Sakura in front of his as a shield.

Another form had appeared on the dusty road.

"I learned once that Sakura-san does not like being told what to do." Badejiru stepped into view. "I think it would be wise of you to let her go."

"You." Itachi remained impassive. "The Kaku host, no?"

The stripe-haired youth nodded.

"Then you are not familiar with who I am." The Uchiha smiled with the thought.

"It doesn't matter who you are! If you do not release her now then I will be forced to kill you."

Itachi looked amused and Sakura watched as one of the fingers on his hand twitched.

"No!" She cried out, choking on her words as Itachi's grip on her tightened. "He's a genjutsu user! No!"

But it was too late.

The form of the Earth shinobi lay on the ground, entranced.

"Now, how foolish of him." He glanced at Sakura. "I think he really thought he was going to save you."

"Leave him alone," she whispered. "He can't harm you now. Just leave him."

"He's a threat. I'm sure you know as well as I do that it is unwise to leave a threat alive."

She looked at the body of the man who had once attacked her. She could feel no ill will toward him. She certainly could not watch him die in front of her.

"If you kill him, you'll have to kill me too. I'll fight you every step of the way from here on out. You'll have to slit my throat to get me to go with you."

He pressed the kunai deeper into her skin. But he could tell by her cool demeanor that she was dead serious.

He pulled her along, stepping over the spellbound Tsuchikage heir.

"Come, we have work to do."

They walked on for a while until they reached a tall building in the center of town.

Keeping her in front of him, Itachi leapt up onto the building's flat roof.

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Sasuke had just reached Tsunade's wall when he heard someone yelling his name.

He looked out into the city, trying to pinpoint where it was coming from.

Jiraiya tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to the center of town. There, on the tallest building, a robed figure stood. And beside that menacing figure knelt a smaller form

A smaller form…

…with pink hair.

Sasuke stopped breathing. It was as if everything else in the world had fallen away except him, Itachi and Sakura.

_That bastard!_ He couldn't bring himself to imagine the torture Sakura might have suffered and would continue to suffer if he didn't do something.

"Sasuke!" The taunt came again. This time, Itachi sliced open Sakura's arm, allowing her scream to rip through the air.

Kakashi put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Sasuke. I know what you have to do. But let me go with you. We need to make sure Sakura remains unharmed."

"Kakashi!" Tsunade interrupted him. "The remaining Akatsuki are advancing this way. I'm going to need everyone I've got." She looked at Sasuke. "I'm already down one." She looked over at Naruto. "And he's in no condition to go back out there. I need you to be with me and Jiraiya."

For once, Sasuke looked at his former sensei with obvious respect. "Thank you. You're needed here. I will take care of Sakura."

The copy nin nodded. For the first time, he believed Sasuke would do just that.

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Sakura attempted to heal herself as they waited for Sasuke to arrive.

But Itachi leaned down and whispered in her ear again. "If you heal those, I will just inflict more."

She stopped what she was doing.

Sasuke had now reached them and was standing a few feet away on the roof.

The oldest Uchiha was slightly annoyed. "Where is Uzumaki Naruto?"

"Shut up. You have no right to ask me questions."

This created a slight problem for the former Akatsuki. He had assumed that the Kyuubi would come as well and the two pieces of his puzzle would be together.

But it was nothing he couldn't handle.

"Little brother, you still don't realize—after all these years—just why we were meant to meet like this?"

"I know about Uchiha Madara. Everyone in the clan learned that secret."

"Yet you do not realize the true purpose behind the sharingan." Itachi stroked Sakura's hair, watching for any reaction from Sasuke. "Do you not realize that I have been molding you all these years, forcing you into your decisions, so that I might use you in the final process?"

Sasuke's face remained emotionless and he did not respond.

"You see, my mangeky sharingan is different than the one you will develop. And when these two separate eye powers are united with the blood of the Kyuubi we will be able to open the gate to the founder of our great Uchiha family." Itachi smiled. "A demon unlike any other. He has no name but he has incredible power. His union with a Hyuga female created Uchiha Madara and thus created the sharingan. But he was defeated and locked away only able to be released by two separate sharingan and the Kyuubi—which was the beast who imprisoned him in the first place."

"I do not have that form of Sharingan." Sasuke said. "Only a fool would release such a demon back into the world."

"I can understand why you'd think that." Itachi hauled Sakura to her feet. "But I intend to let him take over my own body, much like Orochimaru took over yours. Then, I will be unstoppable and my power will be supreme. That is why I have been after the Kyuubi all these years."

The older Uchiha turned Sakura's face to him. He smirked when he realized she had shut her eyes tightly.

Sasuke took a step toward them, but Itachi held up the kunai. "I don't think so." He gently traced it along her neck pressing harder and harder until he drew blood.

The pain forced Sakura to open her eyes slightly.

And then the sky went red and a large moon hung overhead. She was alone and she knew without a doubt just where she had ended up.

Sasuke watched as Sakura's limp body fell to the roof of the building. Itachi put away his kunai and gently picked her up. He brushed his fingers against her face and turned his red eyes to Sasuke.

His little brother was shaking with anger. Itachi could almost see it coming off of him in waves. He had been right. He did care about the young woman.

"Now," Itachi placed Sakura behind him. "You will kill Naruto to obtain the mangekyo sharingan, at the same time spilling the Kyuubi's blood to help me unlock the gate… or I will shatter her mind from within."

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**Coming soon: Chapter 28 : The Way Things Work**


	28. Chapter 28

For those of you who missed the previous 27 chapters, I do NOT own Naruto.

**Author's Note:** I was hoping that this week's manga chapter would show me a little more about Naruto's new ransengan jutsu so I could use it properly in the last battle. However, that was not the case… so that's that. But there is a reference to this week's manga on the later half, so if you haven't read it yet, beware. It doesn't give away much, but you've been warned.

Also…there is only ONE more chapter after this.

**Chapter 28: The Way Things Work**

Hachimata launched herself off of the mountain, winging down towards where she saw medics fussing over the tiny form of Naruto.

She landed on the palace roof, inadvertently crushing the building slightly with her massive size. Amused, she watched as the shinobi behind the wall ran from her in fear, some readying their defenses.

She did not have time to be bothered with them.

Snaking a head down near Naruto's still form, her voice echoed against the mountain as she spoke. "Oi, Kyuubi! You are leaving the war so soon?"

Naruto grimaced and looked up at the laughing green face. "I…Sakura-chan…" He struggled to get up as his body slowly healed. Each major transformation caused him to heal slower. His badly burned skin was only now beginning to recede.

"Hmmm. You are not as strong as I thought." The dragon looked at him questioningly. "Perhaps watching your friends die will do you some good."

The comment had the desired effect.

Naruto's eyes shot open. But he was still too painful to sit up properly.

Hachimata watched with amusement. Though she was no fan of the demon fox, the boy himself had started to grow on her.

She was aware that the rest of the injured Leaf shinobi were watching her in awe.

She flashed them all a grin that sent them back into cover.

"I can't." Naruto said quietly. "I can't transform again. I don't think my body could handle it."

The green head raised an eyebrow. "So you are going to let your village down? That's not something a Kage is supposed to do."

"Well what is it you want from me!? I can't control the fox like that. Even if Sasuke were here I don't think it would be possible."

"Ha! Do you know what will happen if you don't get up? Something much worse than the destruction of those you hold dear." Her other seven heads kept a steady watch on the events occurring on a nearby roof. "It will be the destruction of the world."

"Will you help us then?"

She laughed. "No. And do not ask me again. I still might eat you."

But when Naruto didn't respond, her expression softened.

"Boy, why do you think you need to use the demon fox?"

"It's Akatsuki." He shook his head.

"So? They no longer control any demons that I know of."

He looked at her, on the verge of realizing what she was getting at.

Hachimata frowned at him. "You are strong enough without the fox…"

"…Naruto."

She hadn't called him the Kyuubi.

When he grinned she knew it had registered.

"I will help your body heal." Hachimata leaned in closer. "Afterward you had just better get your act together."

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Sakura was alone. And no matter how long or far she walked the red scenery remained the same.

To the pink-haired medic, it seemed like she had been wandering for hours. But she was not unfamiliar with the way Itachi's mangekyo sharingan worked. Kakashi had given Tsunade a full report on it and Sakura had been allowed to read as well. She knew that, in reality, she had only been under his influence for a short while.

Unexpectedly, a thousand black figures appeared.

Surrounded, Sakura felt intense fear well up inside of her. She knew the rules in this place and she knew she had no control over anything. She hadn't felt this unsure of herself since she was twelve. The horrors of Kakashi's story haunted her mind.

One of the Itachi figures spoke. "Welcome, Sakura. You're going to stay here with me for a while."

Her palms were sweating. She looked down at her shaking hands. _What is wrong with me?_

"It's the fear." Itachi said. "This place is made of it and feeds on it. I could leave you here long enough for the fear to drive you mad." He smiled slightly. "It takes much out of me to keep you here, so hopefully my dear brother will make a wise decision. But I hope you realize that things here are as I want them. Fighting or resisting is pointless."

Sakura shuddered as the Itachi figures stepped in closer to her.

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Sasuke stared at the suddenly shivering form of Sakura. He could tell by Itachi's distant look that the older Uchiha was within the sharingan.

His rage intensified a hundred fold. If Sakura survived this ordeal, she would never forget the things that she saw in that place. Sasuke knew the truth of that himself.

"Stop."

Itachi's eyes focused back on Sasuke. "So? What have you decided?"

Sasuke glared at his brother. He could not kill Naruto any more than he could watch Sakura suffer. They were the two most important people in his life and to have to choose between them was impossible.

"I'll—"

"Sasuke!"

Both Uchiha looked at the form racing toward them. Sasuke cringed. _Damn it, Naruto. You should have stayed away!_

Itachi's eyes strayed momentarily to the massive green dragon watching him from the palace. He smiled. Soon even she would be no match for him.

Naruto landed on the roof and pointed at the former Akatsuki member. "You bastard! I'll kick your ass right here and now!"

Expressionless, Itachi's eyes became distant and Sakura twitched violently behind him.

Sasuke placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, holding him back. "No, Naruto. We can't do anything or he'll just torture her more."

"Tell him." Itachi looked at the fuming blond. "Tell him what is required of him in order to save Sakura."

Sasuke looked at the ground and then faced his best friend.

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Not even able to retreat into the confines of her own mind, Sakura protectively held her hands over her head, curling into a ball on the red ground. The figures had moved away for now.

Tears fell down her face and the fear and despair were so heavy it made it hard for her to breath. She tried to focus on something—anything—to help keep herself sane.

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Naruto's blue-eyes stared at Sasuke, unbelieving. He looked back to Itachi and then down at Sakura.

But instead of the acceptance Itachi thought he would see, the look in Naruto's eyes turned to one of determination.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?!" The blond raged. "Do you think I believe that you won't hurt Sakura-chan even if we help you?! He raised his fists in anger. "HANG ON SAKURA-CHAN!"

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"N-Naruto?" Sakura whispered, her body uncurling slightly. _Naruto?_

The thoughts that had been so disconnected within her mind slowly began to take solid shape again. She closed her eyes and focused on the power she had heard in Naruto's voice. Her own will power had strengthened and she stood.

For so many years, Sakura had lived in the quiet uncertain world born from years of battered self-esteem. In the time before Sasuke had left, she had always doubted herself and had always questioned her own worth. She had hid behind a shy countenance but inside she had harbored a vicious second-self. This "inner Sakura" had been a true reflection of her feelings and as a shocked Ino had discovered, actually existed as a second spirit within Sakura.

But during her years of training, "inner Sakura" had become more and more of who Sakura truly was. She had now become the outside personality, brought out by harsh training with the sannin. "Inner Sakura" was simply the manifestation of Sakura's own determination.

_This is my mind too._ Sakura's eyes narrowed. _This is my mind too!_

Itachi looked at her in amusement. He could hear her thoughts, spoken or not. It was her mind too, but he was in control.

Sakura closed her eyes. She had shattered Ino's hold on her mind once. She knew she could do that same thing again.

She looked up and smiled. The Sakura who stood surrounded by Itachi was afraid.

But there was another part of her and she felt that part rise up violently. It was her own personal demon.

And "Inner Sakura" was pissed.

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Itachi stumbled back a step and he flinched visibly.

Inside his sharingan world, he glared at Sakura. She stood tall and defiant, the smile still on her face. Behind her loomed a more sinister version of herself.

This new Sakura, Itachi could not control. But he was not so easily beaten. He turned his attention to the original medic. This one he could still destroy.

From the outside, Naruto and Sasuke watched as Itachi's hands went to his head as if in pain. They looked at each other.

Behind the older Uchiha, Sakura's body twitched more violently than before. But, as Sasuke studied it, he realized that the motions were not random at all.

Sakura was trying to move.

_She…she's fighting him!_ The impossibility of it astounded him. _No way…_

He tore his eyes from her and looked at Naruto. It was a chance—a risky one—but if they attacked him now, perhaps his hold on her would break altogether.

Understanding the situation, Naruto nodded.

And the two charged at Itachi.

The former Akatsuki member saw the charge even though he was still inside Sakura's mind. The mangekyo sharingan extracted so much chakra from him that he was forced to drop his connection with Sakura in order to protect himself from the attack.

He met their charge defensively and blocked the kicks intended to throw him off the building.

"Is that the best you can do?" He sneered.

Behind him, Sakura stirred. She lifted herself slightly, using her knees and elbows to prop her body up off of the roof. She groaned loudly.

Face to face with Itachi, Sasuke saw his brother's eyes grow dangerous. Before he could stop him, the oldest Uchiha braced himself against their hold and kicked backwards.

He caught Sakura squarely in the stomach and sent her flying off the roof.

"No!" Naruto broke the connection and leapt toward the edge but he was too late. Sakura lay on the roof of the adjacent building. She didn't move.

With Naruto gone, Itachi spun backward and broke free of Sasuke's grip. The three stared at each other.

"Foolish little brother." Itachi shook his head. "What are you going to do? Kill me?" He chuckled softly. "Don't you realize that will make you no better than I am? You'll be the one to finish off the Uchiha clan, not I. Interesting when you think about it."

"Shut up!" Sasuke's chidori current raced through him. "Shut up!"

But the words hit home more than he wanted to admit. For all the hate and all the loathing Sasuke felt for his brother, what he felt most was hurt. Hurt that the one person he had been so close to had betrayed him. And in the end, that was what had driven him to revenge. And Sasuke knew, deep down inside it would kill him inside to kill his older brother.

But what choice did he have?

He cast a look over at Naruto. The blond was angrier than Sasuke had ever seen him and soon the roof was crowded with angry-looking clones.

Itachi studied his opponents. He did not have enough chakra left to use the mangekyo sharingan again. He could still use his genjutsu, but it would not work on another sharingan user and Sasuke would just release Naruto from it anyway.

He would have to manipulate Sasuke into accidentally killing Naruto. No small feat. But it was Itachi's last chance.

He fought off Naruto's shadow clones, inching his way towards Sasuke. The other Uchiha pushed though the clones, his chidori gone. He had some inkling of what Itachi wanted and he wouldn't make it easy on him.

Fighting off the clones was secondary in Itachi's mind. He did it almost as second nature. It was the onslaught of his little brother that caused him to focus. Sasuke had become incredibly skilled since they had last met.

But Itachi's mistake was ignoring Naruto's clones. He was oblivious to the fact that two clones still surrounded the young man and were helping him create something terrifying in the palm of his hand. But eventually, both Itachi and Sasuke were forced to look over as a swirling wind began to whip around the building.

Naruto stood, his clones gone, holding a massive ball of wind chakra. The force of it caused an impenetrable shield of swirling wind around the Kyuubi host. It was a force to rival any wind-based attack anyone had ever seen.

And Naruto had a bigger plan. He had once said that it was good his chakra was wind based—because wind was the force that fanned fire and encouraged it to become more powerful. He had been referring to Sasuke at the time and had been nearing the end of his training with Yamato. The ANBU had been warning him that his wind chakra could not beat Sasuke's fire jutsus.

Naruto knew what they needed to do.

"Sasuke!" He screamed through the gale-force wind. "Fire! Hit me with your best shot of fire!"

The Uchiha looked at him, incredulous. A ball of fire would incinerate his friend. He must have been mad.

But the look in Naruto's eyes left Sasuke without a doubt that he knew what he was doing. Almost against his will, he took a huge breath and let Naruto have it.

Right as the fire hit Naruto, it was sucked into the whirlwind that was around him. The blond pulled his arm back and threw the ball of chakra at Itachi. The spinning orb flew threw the air, sucking everything to it in its wake.

It was all Sasuke could do to jump out of the way in time.

Itachi, however, was not so lucky. As he tried to dodge the attack, he found himself caught up in the windstorm of fire. The ball of power hit him as he tried to block it, sending him off the roof and smashing him into the buildings beyond.

The power was so intense that it left a massive crater where the building had once been.

Only the form of Itachi remained in its base.

Sasuke helped Naruto to his feet. The young man was badly burned from when he had emerged from the protective shield of air.

He shook his head, motioning to where Itachi was clawing his way along the base of the crater. "Go, Sasuke. Finish it."

The youngest Uchiha grasped his friend's hand momentarily and then hopped down to face his brother.

Itachi sat up on his knees. Blood dripped in a steady stream from his mouth. He smiled at Sasuke as the young man stepped next to him.

"Go on, little brother." He coughed, still smiling. "Do it and become what I was."

Sasuke looked at Itachi, his face as blank as ever. And he realized that his thirst for revenge had been sated. Seeing his older brother, helpless before him, only left him with a deep feeling of pity—and relief.

"I'm not going to kill you, Itachi." He said.

"Hn. Still too weak, eh?"

Sasuke's eyes flicked up as he saw the other figure behind Itachi.

_This is how it should end._

He turned and walked away from his brother…

…and Kisame obligingly ended the former Akatsuki member's life.

The blue man watched Sasuke leave. He clutched his own deeply injured side. _And that is how traitors die._ He thought, looking at Itachi's still form. _I liked you, kid, I really did. But you left the rest of us to die. So I had to teach you—betrayal has two faces._

As he climbed out of the crater, he briefly caught Sasuke and Naruto's gaze. There was no expression of thanks—nor should there have been. They were still enemies and always would be. But in the end, the two Leaf shinobi let him leave alive.

A favor for a favor. That's how things work.

Sasuke helped a badly injured Naruto carry Sakura back towards the palace.

The Uchiha was at peace for the first time in his life. Whatever happened next would only be good. He sighed.

"Eh, Sasuke?" Naruto leaned heavily on him. "Do you think the ramen stand survived?"

"Shut up, Naruto." He replied gently.

The palace was close now. And the green dragon that had held her place there was no where to be seen.

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**Coming soon, the last chapter: Chapter 29: Epilogue**


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Chapter 29: Epilogue**

Sasuke stood within the old Uchiha meeting place and stared at the written history of his clan.

It was here that it had all started, all those years ago, when Itachi had learned the truth. But instead of wanting to overcome the darkness of the Uchiha past, he had wanted to embrace it. And because their ancestors had preserved that knowledge, Itachi had all the information her needed at his disposal.

Sasuke would not make that mistake. He would make sure that future generations would never know the type of power they held.

He had craved it once—power. It had been a hard lesson for him to learn, but he knew now that only the power to protect the people you cared about mattered.

If you were alone in the end—as Itachi was—then all the power in the world couldn't help you.

He held the flame up to the tapestries, watching as they burned.

And when the room was empty, he climbed back up the stairs and covered over the secret entrance once again.

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Tsunade walked along the pile of tumbled rock that marked the tomb of the Akatsuki statue. She was impressed. Good planning and unshakable determination had won them this victory.

They were unsure just what had happened to the tailed-beasts within the statue. By all rights, they were probably dead. Just as they would have died if they were sealed away within a human form—by being sealed within the statue, it was only sensible that once it was destroyed so were they.

But Tsunade had her doubts. Perhaps they still lived and had simply took their opportunity and vanished.

They might never know.

She glanced over at the youth next to her.

"Well, Badejiru. I cannot thank you enough. I was surprised, to say the least, to see shinobi from Earth Country arrive to save the day."

He smiled slightly. "Our countries have always been at war—but no longer. When I return home, I will see to it that the Tsuchikage honors that alliance."

"Eh? Not planning on leaving so soon, are you?"

"There is no reason to stay, Hokage-sama."

The sannin shrugged. "I'm not so sure. I think there are some people who would like to see you before you left."

He didn't look at her. There were some people he wanted to see too.

But that would be it. He would say his goodbyes and then he would leave.

It had become clear to the young man just how he would best be able to make amends—

--and that was something he had to do from the position of Tsuchikage.

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Sakura looked up as the door to her hospital room opened. She had been there for three days and this was the first time Tsunade had allowed anyone else to enter.

She looked down at her hands as Sasuke shut the door behind him.

He stood there, silent, and stared at her.

"I…I'm sorry Sasuke-kun!" She said quickly, concerned that he was still upset about her leaving to find Ino. "I just…I had to, you know? I had to find Ino and I knew that you and Naru—"

Sasuke closed the distance between them in a flash and placed his hand over Sakura's mouth.

"No," He said quietly. "You should be proud, not sorry."

He moved his hand away and watched her face. She still hadn't looked at him.

He sighed and sat quietly with her. Eventually, her green eyes looked at him and she attempted a smile.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

Relief washed through the Uchiha. He had been worried that she wouldn't be able to face him after being held prisoner in her own mind by his brother.

Part of Sasuke wanted to ask her just what had happened to her inside the mangekyo sharingan. He wasn't sure he wanted to know, really, but he couldn't bare the thought of what Itachi might have done. And the other part of Sasuke knew that if she wanted to tell him, that she would.

He stared at her. Since she and Naruto had rescued him, he had watched as she almost slipped away from him numerous times. What would it have done to him if she had died and he had never told her how he felt?

Sasuke swallowed hard and suddenly pulled her into his arms.

He couldn't express the feeling of pure contentment that surrounded him as she returned his embrace.

He held her and held her and he knew that he would never let her go.

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Tsunade shook her head, chuckling softly. It had been months since Akatsuki were defeated and things were finally starting to get back to normal.

She watched out her office window, amused, as she followed Naruto and Hinata's walk down the street below. Both the blond and the heiress were blushing furiously at each other—a sure sign that they were beginning to acknowledge their feelings for one another.

The Hokage sighed.

Was she making the right decision?

The images of Dan and her brother flashed through her head. _Yes, there is no doubt. Now is as good a time as any._

She turned to the door as Sakura entered.

_Another amusing situation._ The sannin smiled. She had never seen Sakura more alive and happy than the young woman had been lately. And to the healer's experienced eye, it was no surprise as to why.

Though they never expressed it in public, Tsunade could see the depth of the relationship between Sasuke and her apprentice. They never held hands. They rarely embraced. She didn't think she had ever seen them kiss. But she could tell—by the way they casually touched and by the way they smiled at one another—that they were as bound to each other as any two people had ever been.

"You sent for me, Hokage-sama?"

"Yes." The sannin looked down at the message scroll on her desk. "Please go round up Naruto for me."

Not even registering what Sakura said as she left, Tsunade shook her head.

_Changes. Big, big changes._

She rolled the scroll up, It was amazing enough that the five countries were getting along…but it was even more amazing that they had listened to her when she had suggested a certain Kyuubi host as a possible overall ruler—a king, so to speak. She largely had Badejiru to thank for it. After leaving Konoha, he had become a strong ally and had used his good standing with the other countries to help press Tsunade's interests.

Of course, it would have to start small. She would name him her successor—the official sixth Hokage. And then, once he proved himself a good leader, things would be decided from there.

But first…

She looked up as Jiraiya opened the door. He was followed by Kakashi and then, lastly, Naruto.

"Eh, Granny Tsunade. What is it now?"

She smiled.

"Naruto…I think it's time we told you about your father…"

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**THE END**

**Final Author's Note:** A huge 'Thank You' to those of you who took the time to read this story… and most importantly to those of you who have been die-hard fans from the beginning.

Let me just say that I know the true Naruto manga line will be way better than anything I could write, but it was fun trying to write something that at least could stand on its own.

And to those of you who like to skip chapters when you read…chapter 25 is the chapter with the sasu/sauk moment… for some reason it seems like many people skipped over this chapter. And I don't mean to disappoint, but I don't write lemons. I think you can convey enough emotion in normal writing that lemons are unnecessary. Plus, it just seems so out of character for Sasuke to even kiss Sakura… which was why I developed the emotions at the end the way I did.

Also, my next venture will probably be a Kakashi/Rin story… about what happened after Obito died. I'll start it soon, so keep your eyes open. I do, however, have another good idea for Sasuke/Sakura. So we'll see.


End file.
